The Fifth of Thunder's Forms - Eagledawn's Destiny
by EnderoftheEnd
Summary: There was one, who then became four: and manifested in the form of the Thunderbird, who was the third of five forms. The Fifth, who had the most direct connection to these distant spirits, was a seemingly ordinary cat in the forest of four Clans. Her name is Eagledawn, a ThunderClan warrior who would one day rise.
1. Prologue

"Kwe kwe,"

"Onhka ki?"

"Tha'tesato:tat,"

"Onhka ni:s

"T:i,"

"Iah tewake'nikonhraien:ta's..."

"Iontiats Yahweh. Sehia:rak,"

"Yahweh...? Onhka thi?"

"T:i. O:nen, Wakį́yą..."

The leaves flew wildly into the air noisily, but this young apprentice found no time to care. He had to reach camp, quickly. With a pang of relief, he spotted the gorse tunnel entrance, and quickly dashed through. It seemed like forever but finally he was on the other side. The urgency was sensed by his Clanmates, who quickly surrounded him. A path was cut through the crowd as the recognisable clan leader, Firestar, approached. His emerald green eyes were filled with concern. "What happened?" he demanded.

"A... S-ShadowClan... They're attacking!" the apprentice panted. The presence of cats other than ShadowClan warmed him, somewhat, but he still felt his heart thudding even with all the chattering from the crowd.

"ShadowClan?! Again! We must fight back!" he replied, almost immediately, then the deputy, Brambleclaw, began assigning a few cats to guard the camp. With that, several warriors stampeded their way into the fray. A silver she-cat who lay in the nursery had her ears pricked as she listened to the event. Without hesitation, she scrambled onto her paws and hurried her way to the exit.

"Shimmerstripe!" she heard, "Get back here!" She didn't listen. Her claws were itching and she had to fight.

ThunderClan fought bravely and eventually pushed back the ShadowClan forces. Shimmerstripe purred in delight as she felt the blood of the apprentice in front of her stain her claws. She caught a glimpse of his terrified eyes before running off into the bushes. "Run, little kit! Yeah!" she called after him, even if he probably didn't hear her. The she-cat glanced around; cats were fighting everywhere, yowls splitting the air and blood spraying everywhere. "Alright! Who's next?!" the silver tabby hissed, but just then a sharp pain kicked in her belly. She gave a quick look at her belly. "Oh, StarClan, no... not now..." Shimmerstripe whimpered, then yowled in agony, falling heavily on the ground. She was kitting! Her last sight before falling was two warriors jumping out at her. She prepared to meet her end, but it never came. Instead, she saw a shadow fly across the ground before clashing with another, and closer yowls of battle were heard. After a moment, Shimmerstripe saw her mate land in front of her from above, and stare directly at her. He was crying, because he knew his end had come that day, but she had not noticed.

"Shimmerstripe. You and I... will have quite the story to tell our kits," he told her. He dashed around as a young brown cat tried to leap at him from behind. "How you kitted in the battlefield..." As the cat passed by Addertail took the opportunity to rake his claws down the ShadowClan warrior's flank. "... and how I protected you like LionClan." Hissing in the pain, the brown warrior then retreated. Then the silver she-cat's mate turned to face her, his dark-grey, almost black pelt stained red by blood he had collected in battle. "Just like we planned... right?"

"Righ... gh... t..." Shimmerstripe shakily replied as she then began streaming. As a rustling in the bushes didn't go unnoticed, the grey tabby continued.

"They will be the greatest warriors..." A brown tabby leaped out of the bushes, paws unsheathed. The tom tried to move out of the way, but he was too slow, and the ShadowClan cat - whom Shimmerstripe recognised as Rowanclaw, the ShadowClan deputy - raked his claws all along his neck. Red sprayed everywhere from there, and Shimmerstripe could only hope that her mate would survive that injury. It was only then that Shimmerstripe noticed the immense pain welling up inside of her belly. Just on time, the medicine cat's apprentice, a young fluffy white tom, approached.

"I'm here!" he yowled.

"About time!" Shimmerstripe harshly hissed at him, as she already began to deliver.

"Only one..." she heard him murmur, then did whatever he could to help the delivery. After that was done (after what felt like seasons) the apprentice grabbed the kit quickly and helped the new mother escape, but she couldn't help but look back to her mate, which he noticed.

"GO!" he yowled at them. Still, Shimmerstripe didn't move.

"Make it, Addertail... for her..." she shakily whispered, but her jaws fell open and her eyes widened at what had unfolded in front of her then. He was lying on the floor, streaming heavily as the ShadowClan deputy towered over him, giving him the last blow. Scarlet sprayed the grass all over him. He reached his paw out desperately at Shimmerstripe before closing his green eyes for the last time. He was gone...

The medicine cat's apprentice, Cloudpaw, sprinted as fast as he could, eventually falling back when he remembered Shimmerstripe was following him. He noticed a rustling in the bushes in front of him, but it was already too late; and a flash of black was the last thing he saw.

The ShadowClan warrior, Shadeleaf, looked sympathetically at the corpse he just created. He had no intention to kill, but that was what he did, and there was nothing he could do now. Except... he noticed a bundle of fur scrambling under the corpse along with mews of pain. Shadeleaf moved the body and widened his eyes in surprise when he saw a blood-stained kit. Immediately, he grabbed the she-kit by the scruff and dashed off, back to his own territory. The battle was ending now, and he had an idea on his mind. The black tom eventually found the puddle next to his Clan camp, and dumped her in the pool. Much to his disapproval, the kit splashed about, wetting his face heavily, but when he made sure that all the blood was gone, he was thankful that he could now return. His paws took him to the nursery, where he saw in one of the nests closer to the entrance, his resting mate, Silverfall, who he knew would give birth if not tonight then next dawn. Shadeleaf placed the kit behind her, then stared at his mate as a smile played on his features. "Sleep well," he whispered, then turned tail to leave the nursery.

The journey begins.

**A/N:** THE JOURNEY BEGINS :O I've decided this'll be a weekly thing. I'll be uploading chapters every Saturday or Sunday. I've already gotten it written out so you don't have to worry about delays or anything. Thanks for reading. See you guys next week~~!  
>~Aquila<p> 


	2. Chapter 1 - Truth

"One, two kits!" Littlecloud mewed happily, before catching sight of a white bundle of fur underneath Silverfall's belly. "Oh, a third!"  
>"This one will be Firekit…" she decided, looking at the small silver tabby tom who bore fiery amber eyes. Her eyes gleamed cheekily at the pure black she-kit, the largest of the litter. "This one is Shadekit…"<br>"Hey, that's my name!" Shadeleaf purred. Silverfall let out a _mrrow_ of laughter. She then glanced at the ThunderClan-born kit, obviously having thought of it as her own. "This one… what will it be?" Silverfall asked her mate.  
>"Ahh… how about… Stormkit?"<br>"Yeah! Firekit, Shadekit and Stormkit!" the silver she-cat mewed.  
>Two moons had passed since then, and it was finally the trio's time to visit the open world. "Ready?" Silverfall asked.<p>

"Yup! We're gonna have so much fun!" Shadekit bounced around. Suddenly, Stormkit felt a sharp pain on her tail, and realised that Shadekit had stepped on it.  
>"Hey! Watch where you're throwing those paws!" she laughed.<br>"Sorry!" Shadekit whispered. Firekit gave a sideways glance at the sisters.  
>"What could be so exciting about going outside? It's dirty," he scoffed.<br>"Ah… well… it's a first experience for you, even if it is dirty. You can't stay inside the nursery forever," Shadeleaf explained, confused at the kit's strange remark. Silverfall padded up to her mate and plopped down beside him.  
>"Our kits are weird," she whispered. While her siblings seemed not to hear Silverfall's comment, Stormkit had – and she secretly concurred.<br>"I know," Shadeleaf whispered back.  
>"Alright, you three. Off you go then, have fun, you know! Stay together and keep out of trouble unless you want Russetfur clawing your ears off!" she casually mewed. Somewhere outside the nursery a hiss was heard. "Oops," Silverfall quietly meowed, straightening herself with her eyes slightly widened.<br>"She's mostly going to claw _your_ ears off, you realise that," Shadeleaf murmured.  
>"I know…" she whimpered. The three headed outside.<br>"Wooww!" Shadekit marvelled, "It's so bright!"  
>"Beautiful!" Stormkit added.<br>"Dirty." Firekit finished.  
>"Let's explore!" Shadekit almost yowled, bounding off. Hesitantly, Firekit followed them. Stormkit watched them for a moment until her thoughts trailed off, and she found herself looking at a tall tree inside the camp. On a branch rested a small, light-brown bird with white flecks. It stared at her for what seemed like moons before finally raising its wings and taking flight. When it left her sight, Stormkit realised she was alone, and began to wander around. After loitering for a few minutes, she turned her attention to the giant oak, and approached it. She realised that she could enter beneath the roots, and did so. The kit saw a single nest inside, and realised she was inside Blackstar's den. Stormkit turned to leave, but there was a figure blocking the exit: Russetfur!<br>"What are you doing in here?" she hissed.  
>"I-I was wandering around!" Stormkit yelped.<br>"Get out!"  
>"Y-yes!" Stormkit ran for her life, dashing as fast as she could outside the roots of the oak tree.<br>"Not getting into trouble, are you?" someone beside her chuckled. She turned around to meet Rowanclaw.  
>"I… I didn't mean to… I didn't know…" she trembled.<br>"It's okay. Russetfur is mean. I don't blame you," the dark ginger tom purred.  
>"I heard that!" Russetfur hissed.<br>"You were meant to," Rowanclaw replied. "Stormkit, was it? Firekit and Shadekit are by the fresh-kill pile, if you were looking for them."  
>"Thank you, Rowanclaw!" Stormkit mewed gratefully, bounding off.<p>

The time for the Gathering came a few nights after. Firestar was the last to announce the news for his clan. "When ShadowClan _cowardly_ attacked us just a few nights ago, Shimmerstripe gave birth to a kit on the battlefield. Cloudpaw was killed during this and the kit is missing," he announced, staring sharply at Blackstar. "We demand the kit back."  
>"Liar! We are not in possession of your kit! We recently had our own three: Firekit, Shadekit and Stormkit. With such an addition to ShadowClan, why would we resort to kitnapping?"<p>

Moons later, Firekit, Shadekit and Stormkit were Firepaw, Shadepaw and Stormpaw. Firepaw's mentor was Rowanclaw, Shadepaw's was Oakfur and Stormpaw's was Tawnypelt. By now they had learned how to hunt and fight. "Look! A bird!" Stormpaw whispered next to Shadepaw.  
>"Oh! I can't wait to see how you'll miss!" Shadepaw teased, but Stormpaw ignored her, leaping for it. It hadn't even noticed her until she got it. It let out a yelp under her paws, but then it disappeared in a flurry of small, light-brown and white feathers.<br>"W-what? It's gone! I swear, by StarClan, I caught it…" she pouted.  
>"HAHA! I knew it!" Shadepaw called from behind her.<br>"Better luck next time, Stormpaw. Not even warriors catch prey all the time," Tawnypelt told her. Stormpaw hissed to herself. She caught it! She just knew it!  
>The Gathering this moon was much more heated than the last. The three apprentices were there, now. "We have three new apprentices," Blackstar announced proudly, "Stormpaw, Shadepaw and Firepaw." Bramblestar, the new ThunderClan leader, had his turn to speak now.<br>"And we still don't have our missing kit! I demand you bring her back at once!" he growled.  
>"They're only blaming me because that ThunderClan medicine cat died while I was around. It probably wandered off somewhere, got lost," Shadeleaf, who sat next to Stormpaw, sighed.<br>"I would have named her Eaglekit!" someone from ThunderClan yowled. _The lost kit's mother,_ Stormpaw thought.

Stormpaw was due to be a warrior next moon. A light-brown and white bird, a wren, sat in front of her out in the marshes. She immediately dropped into a hunter's crouch, noticing that even when she was close and the bird was staring at her, it hadn't moved. _Mouse-brain,_ Stormpaw thought.  
>"Hello," a voice called from somewhere in front of her. The she-cat perked her ears.<br>"Who said that?" she asked, confused.  
>"I," the voice said. The black-and-white apprentice continued to glance around in an attempt to find the source of the noise. "The wren," it sighed. Stormpaw met her gaze with the bird's.<br>"You… you can talk?" she blinked.  
>"Yes, I can talk. And I have a lot of news for you." Out of nowhere, a silver blur had clashed with the small bird. Firepaw! "If you'd keep your friends off of me, that'd be great!" the wren called.<br>"What in Silverpelt was that?" he asked. The bird disappeared from under his paws, only to reappear in front of them.  
>"The bird can talk," Stormpaw answered.<br>"Get your sister here if you want to hear it," the wren chirped. Firepaw ran off, appearing a few moments later with Shadepaw.  
><em><strong>"OOH TALKING BIRD WHERE?!"<strong>_ Shadepaw might as well have screamed. The wren gave an avian equivalent of a smile, and chirped happily, then glanced back towards Stormpaw.  
>"This will come as a big shock to all of you. Especially you, Stormpaw," the wren began as the three sat down. "My name is Awes-kon-wa. I am here to inform you that you are adopted and I need to get you to your proper clan." Beside them, Shadepaw gave the loudest and most obnoxious gasp ever.<br>"What's adopted mean?" she asked.  
>"It means the parents you know now are not your actual parents. Stormpaw, Silverfall is not your mother and Shadeleaf is not your father. Firepaw and Shadepaw are not your real siblings."<br>"What?!" Stormpaw hissed. "That's impossible!"  
>"Shh! There's more!" Awes-kon-wa leaned closer. "You are not a ShadowClan cat. You belong to ThunderClan. Your real mother is Shimmerstripe and your real name is Eaglepaw." Shadepaw stared at disbelief at Stormpaw and drew her lips back into a snarl, while Firepaw looked as stoic as ever, still sitting.<br>"ThunderClan scum!" the black she-cat hissed and leaped at Stormpaw. Awes-kon-wa quickly drew her wings, creating a sort of barrier between the two.  
>"Nope! She's going back to ThunderClan next Gathering," the wren smiled.<p>

At the event the three apprentices came. "We formally welcome Stormpelt, Firestripe and Shademark as full ShadowClan warriors," Blackstar announced. Stormpelt shrivelled up as the cheering began: she knew she was where she didn't belong now.  
><em>What's my real name?<em> Stormpelt wondered. Awes-kon-wa appeared beside her.  
>"Come. It's time," she chirped. Stormpelt followed her up the Great Rock and she soon began trembling as all eyes were on her. This didn't feel right… nevertheless, it had to be done. Awes-kon-wa hovered closely above her and began shining her feathers with a brilliant green colour.<br>"Listen and heed my words. You stand before a legend, though not sent from StarClan, for I am a different kind unfamiliar to your ways, and I present now to you the truth of young Stormpelt," Awes-kon-wa called.  
>"What is the meaning of this?!" Blackstar hissed, though his remark fell on deaf ears.<br>"For moons Shadeleaf has been hiding a terrible lie from all of you!" Stormpaw caught sight of Shadeleaf, who stared at the ground with guilt, growling lowly at the seemingly invisible voice. "A kitnap has occurred on the night of the ShadowClan attack. Stormpelt was thought to be the sibling of Firestripe and Shademark, but this is not the case. She is a ThunderClan cat!" The crowd quickly turned into an uproar, but was silenced when the wren was about to speak again. Stormpelt gazed at Shimmerstripe, who was staring back. "Her true name is Eagledawn, and her true mother…" Stormpelt – no, Eagledawn – hopped off the rock and ran through the crowd towards her real mother. "… is Shimmerstripe. Stormpelt of ShadowClan, purge and enter your very true home, for you are now Eagledawn of ThunderClan."

**A/N**: Well, how about that? Weird, huh? If you haven't guessed from the description already this has a lot to do with Native American mythology. With my own twists, of course – after all, Awes-kon-wa in actual myth is described as only a small flying sprite. At least, that's what Wikipedia says haha don't kill me. But hey, wrens are small. And they fly. Right? If you're wondering how Awes did what she did without screwing up the minds of just about everyone that's kinda described next chapter. Anyway, thank you so much for reading! ^_^ I'm willing to answer any questions you have and even write side stories for any of the characters in my story should you want me to. I've already done a few side stories anyway, so… yeaa.


	3. Chapter 2 - Heartbleed Healed

_Finally!_ the she-cat almost burst out. _Thank you, wren spirit. Though your ways are not ours, surely StarClan must have sent you._ She quickly glanced around and was surprised to see the whole group looking indifferent to what had just occurred under the full moon. It was almost as if... they had forgotten as soon as it had happened. _Best not to remind them,_ she thought. Her fur stood on end when she had suddenly heard an emotional wail, only to see Shimmerstripe padding towards her and enveloping her in white pelt.

"W-wha-..." Eagledawn began, trailing off when the queen licked her cheek. "Mother, please..." she continued, though Shimmerstripe remained. Sighing, she glanced around at the other cats, before settling eyes on a white, muscular tom with yellow eyes that had almost shined as bright as her own. He glanced back at her, seemingly purring in sensation, then turned his attention towards the path ahead. He flicked his tail, which was banded black, in boredom. Shimmerstripe _annoyingly_ followed right beside her, only a mouse-length away. Eagledawn felt bad for thinking for a second that she would prefer Silverfall traveling back instead, though she silently scolded herself. Shimmerstripe was only overjoyed to see her missing daughter for the first time! she had to remind herself along the way. Yawning, the black-and-white she-cat herself was overjoyed to see the fern tunnel that led to the camp, and ran as fast as she could through it, secretly hoping to herself that her clingy mother would be farther away now.

Glancing around at the unfamiliar place she now had to call home, she almost jumped hearing a kittypet name being called out.

"Millie!" She turned her head to see a muscular grey tom, calling to a silver tabby she-cat who paired with him.

"Yes, Graystripe?" the she-cat's voice replied. Two apprentices wandered excitedly to what Eagledawn presumed to be the nursery. She looked at them, though paid little attention as she listened to the conversation.

"We should see the kits. Sunstreak's been bragging about them all morning," the tom replied.

"Alright. I just hope they turn out as good as mine, though - or at least remind me of them." Eagledawn almost gasped when she saw Millie's eyes clouded with grief. Had something happened to one of her kits? Deciding to follow to the nursery, she saw what all the grief was all about - a half-dead and half-alive brown she-cat dragging herself to the fresh-kill pile, taking a vole before pulling to the nursery. Eagledawn winced, imagining the pain that this cat must have gone through, when the large figure of Bramblestar had approached from behind her all of a sudden.

"Poor thing," he sighed, flicking his tail. "That's Briarlight. Millie and Graystripe's daughter. I know what you're thinking. We all feel uncomfortable just seeing her... I wish there was something we could do..." Sighing, he padded off and squeezed through the nursery's entrance along with Eagledawn.

"Welcome to your new home, Flamekit and Nightkit," the ginger queen laying proudly in a nest mewed.

"Congratulations, Sunstreak," Graystripe meowed, looking at the two newborns. The queen raised her ears proudly.

"Look at Flamekit's claws and fangs. They are very long and sharp!" Sunstreak laughed. "Looks like one of them is already a warrior!"

"Yes," Bramblestar replied with an unclear expression. "If only Nightclaw was here." Sighing, Sunstreak bobbed her head down respectfully.

"May he rest in StarClan, and always watch over us..." Some young kits and the two apprentices that were seen earlier struggled to catch a glimpse of the newborns, but they were soon ordered to leave so that they could rest. As Eagledawn watched closer at the midnight kit, Bramblestar noticed the same thing she did.

"Nightkit looks a bit different..." he mewed to the kit's mother, who bowed her head in agreement. _As if made more for running and climbing... _"His training may need to be modified," he finished. "I have to go. Let the other cats see them." Brambleclaw turned, leaving, and suddenly a jolt ran through Eagledawn's mind.

"Different..." she whispered to herself, her eyes clouded in thought.

"Remembering something?" a tom meowed, and she was surprised to see the white tom she had seen before sitting beside her, his yellow gaze locked onto her golden eyes. "My name's Tigertail, by the way."

"Y-yeah," she mewed, nervously, feeling her unnaturally fluffy neck puff up beside her. "It just reminds me of my kithood... I was never the same to my, um, 'siblings'." The cat looked down for a second, seeming to recall something.

"Ah, yes, I remember. You're Stormpelt, aren't you? So, Shimmerstripe _did_ get you back after all." Stifling a yawn, Eagledawn chuckled before replying.

"Stormpelt... It feels like moons since I was called that. It's Eagledawn, now." Tigertail pushed himself off his haunches, padding away.

"Well, see ya. I'm tired, gonna go sleep now." Laughing, Eagledawn padded after him.

"What do you mean, 'see ya'? We're in the same clan!" She walked herself to the warrior's den, remembering suddenly that she had no nest. "Ah, mouse dung..." she sighed.

"Oh, don't worry about it," the glowing, yellow eyes said. "Bramblestar sent Molepaw to make a nest for you. Shimmerstripe's tagging along. She's really clingy, isn't she?" Tigertail asked.

"Well, she did miss seeing me grow up. I won't even be surprised if she's wanting to sleep in the warrior's den tonight just for me," Eagledawn replied. She sat at the entrance for a while, waiting as Molepaw and Shimmerstripe paced back and forth collecting moss and laying it into a nice and comfy nest. A few minutes later, the task was completed, and she had finally curled up comfortably. That was, until, a second cat intruded. "Mother," she growled lowly.

"Shimmerstripe!" a mottled, pale grey tabby sighed. Almost immediately the mother turned her head, and Eagledawn could hear a few snickers from one of the cats.

"Yes, Jayfeather?" she asked innocently.

_"You have your own nest here,"_ he replied. With a disapproving attitude, Shimmerstripe pushed herself off and plopped down onto a nest near Eagledawn's.

"Fine, Jayfeather. Fine..." Another snicker came.

"Motherly love," the jeering cat laughed.

"Shut up, mouse-brain," another voice called as Eagledawn drifted off to sleep.

Two moons passed by, and the forest was more hazy than it had seemed before. Eagledawn knew she was dreaming. Was StarClan sending her a message? She saw, in the distance, a silhouette of a creature, much too large to be anything she's known. Curiously, the small she-cat padded softly towards it until a flash of light invaded the mist, shortly followed by a sudden, loud bang. Eagledawn jumped, but stayed her ground. In her mind, a voice sang in a language she both knew and did not.

_"Once four, now one, manifested into the form of a great eagle-"_the cryptic message was cut off by a yowl.

"ShadowClan's attacking!" the desperate voice shouted as she and almost all the warriors burst out of the den. The broad shoulders belonging to the clan leader emerged from his den as he leaped and struck another brown tabby tom's head with a sheathed paw.

"You fool!" he sighed. "It's only_Eagledawn!"_ Her muzzle drooped hearing the words she could not believe. After these two moons, she _still_ smelled like ShadowClan? Graystripe shouldered past to observe what was happening, Millie following closely. Sighing, he turned to Eagledawn.

"Forgive his foolishness. It can't be helped," he joked. She purred in amusement.

"Come on, Graystripe. We need to go on dawn patrol," Millie was quick to announce.

Eagledawn sat at the middle of the clearing watching Sunstreak's kits, Nightkit and Flamekit. "So, you're Eagledawn!" a she-cat called from behind. Turning, she saw a well-muscled, dark ginger cat.

"The deputy, if I'm not mistaken?" Eagledawn replied.

"Yeah. Squirrelflight. Nice to finally meet you - and glad - Shimmerstripe was going crazy without you," she commented before adding, "She slept in the warrior's den last night as well. She's supposed to be in the elder's den..." Sighing, the two she-cats chuckled. Together the two watched the kits as they were talking to an elder around the fresh-kill pile.

"They're going to grow strong," Eagledawn announced her thoughts out loud, taking particular interest in the flame-coloured kit.

"That one looks like my father, Firestar!" Squirrelflight said, following Eagledawn's gaze. Side-tracked, Eagledawn barely heard Squirrelflight's next sentence. "You wouldn't mind mentoring him, would you?"

"Huh?" Eagledawn unceremoniously replied, so she repeated. "O-oh... I'm flattered, uh... Sure."

**A/N****:** You may have noticed by now, but this story is set in the forest rather than the lake. This is because by the time I had begun first writing this out (as in, way back months ago before I even knew about this website) I didn't know the lake even existed. So, um, sorry about that, but it's not changing - I don't want to rewrite this whole thing over again. And about any OOCs... I haven't exactly finished reading Warriors, so forgive me for that as well.


	4. Chapter 3 - The Fire in His Eyes

And thus, 4 moons later, the ceremony for two new apprentices was about to begin, and cats gathered at the middle of the clearing as the powerful figure of Bramblestar jumped onto the High rock. His dark brown fur billowed in the wind as if he were a tiger. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the High rock for a clan meeting," he spoke the traditional words. Eagledawn glanced around, trying to remember names, when she paused at a ginger, seemingly glowing she-cat hurrying her kits to the meeting. With that the black-and-white she-cat knew it was Sunstreak, who had eyed her suspiciously, though for reasons unknown. Eagledawn twitched her whiskers in uncertainty before moving her way to the front of the crowd, all cats giving her room except for Dustpelt, who hadn't noticed her passing by. With a sneaky smirk on her face, she halted, watching his tail wave in front of her, looking like a kit's play toy, before slamming her paw down onto it. The brown tom leaped in the air, yowling._Payback, idiot._

"Sorry," Eagledawn purred. "I didn't see your tail there." Growling, Dustpelt, with an annoyed growl, moved backwards in the crowd, allowing Eagledawn to continue. She plopped down next to Squirrelflight, nodding in respect. Eagledawn felt fur push against her flank, and when the small cat looked in the direction from where it came she saw a reddish-brown tom that almost looked like a fox. Beside him sat a light brown tom.

"Excuse me, please don't do that to our father," he sighed. "He... just finds trouble trusting outsiders..." Eagledawn narrowed her eyes, lowering her ears. She knew what he meant, but couldn't help but be offended.

"I'm _not_ an outsider." The two edged away and continued watching the ceremony as the two kits padded at the base of the High rock.

"Nightkit and Flamekit. You have been with us for six moons. Today you will start your training. Your father has been loyal and brave to ThunderClan and died a hero, and may you follow in his pawsteps. Nightkit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be Nightpaw. Your mentor will be Lionblaze," A golden-brown thick tom padded his wide paws which contradicted the green, flattened grass._This is... the greatest warrior of the forest..._Eagledawn thought. He bent down in front of the new apprentice and touched noses. Bramblestar continued, looking at the same kit Eagledawn eyed. She lifted herself off her haunches, preparing to do the same as Lionblaze. "Flamekit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be Flamepaw, Your mentor will be Eagledawn." The small she-cat padded towards the flame-coloured kit, reminded of Firestar, who was the ThunderClan leader back when she was a kit, and did the same - bent down and touched noses. This was her apprentice now. Her responsiblity. This young cat's life was in her hands. That night was difficult, for StarClan had really sent her a dream. She sat in a part of the forest where rocks sat. These rocks, called Snakerocks, usually had adders slithering around, but none were seen at this time. She next spotted a dark tunnel, hearing a frightened yowl and a large, spotted tail and paw dashing into it. She sprinted at the entrance, almost entering, but before she could an abnormally large feather dropped from the sky. It was the same colour as her neck. When the black-and-white she-cat looked up, she caught a glimpse of an incredibly large silhouette in the sky, its flight feathers the same as the one that dropped. The giant had frightened her, but she stayed as if under a false sense of security. When it beat its massive wings of gold, she could hear a loud crash of thunder, and it had disappeared, a voice appearing from thin air; _You are important, in more ways than even StarClan knows_. She looked down again to the feather which began to glow brighter, as did her neck. A pair of clear, green eyes peered at her in the tunnel, and when she heard another frightening yowl, she woke, screaming.

A cat was seen bent over her, and as her vision began to clear she saw it was Tigertail. "Bad dream. How do you feel?" As the words spilled from his mouth, Eagledawn could feel a pulsing pain coming from her neck and her heart beat fast.

"Not... not good," she gasped, beginning to push herself up. Tigertail pulled her into a straight, proper walking position by her scruff, and the two walked outside, their paws taking them to Jayfeather. When Eagledawn gazed up, she could see Silverpelt as clear as the half-full moon, and she wondered about who each of the star's spirits were and what stories they'd have to tell when she ascended with them one day.

"You almost woke everyone up. Luckily, only I had heard you," the white tom beside her told her as they entered the medicine cat's den. To their surprise, Jayfeather sat slumped on his nest, but awake.

"Don't you like to stay up late?" Jayfeather chuckled, lifting himself up. "What is it?" As he asked, his tail swirled around as if he had already known. He turned to Tigertail and nodded. "Thank you. You may go now." He nodded back and disappeared through the crack of the rock. "So, what is it?" the medicine cat had asked. Eagledawn cleared her throat and spoke with nervousness, having never spoken to a medicine cat before.

"Well... I had a dream. It happened when I woke up. My neck feels weird, like it's pulsing with some kind of painful energy, my heart's beating really fast and it feels like it's being shocked, and I feel sick overall." Jayfeather nodded, interest flooding his eyes, and his tail swayed like a kit's play toy.

"Interesting. Very. When I woke up, I felt like I was shocked, too." A mischevious smile played on his features. Was it that often he used that power of his? Or did he just feel like screwing around with her?

Of course, not many cats knew of his power. That is, Eagledawn did because Jayfeather told her, for he knew that she had a sort of power as well. Neither he or she knew what it was yet. "Tell me, what was the dream about?" he asked.

"Well..." Eagledawn began to explain, estranged at what this dream might have meant. "I was at Snakerocks, near the tunnel where the dog pack was. I didn't see any snakes, though. When I saw the tunnel, I heard a mighty but painful yowl. Like nothing I've ever heard before. I saw a glimpse of a tail which had disappeared into the tunnel. Light, with black spots. I also saw the back of a massive paw, also light with black spots. I tried to follow it, but when I was about to enter, a really huge feather dropped down in front of me, the same colour as my neck fur. When I looked up to see where it came from, I saw this giant eagle that had the same feathers on its wings. I was scared, but I felt... some warmth, that I would be safe... It flapped its wings and I heard thunder come from it, then it disappeared while I heard a voice. It sounded female. It said, 'You are important, in more ways than even StarClan knows'. I looked at the feather again, and both it and my neck fur glowed. I saw green eyes glow in the tunnel, and I heard another frightening yowl. It was frightening enough to make me yowl as I woke up, it seems."

Jayfeather stayed still for a moment, and Eagledawn was concerned that he might never answer, but he sighed in thoughtfulness, "To be completely honest with you, Eagledawn, I don't get the eagle and thunder part. But by what she said, it seems you have ties to her more than anyone else. It would make sense, because of your abnormal neck fur and... well, your name, not to mention your adopted name, Stormpelt. About the yowls, though. Mighty, yet scared, spotted and large. It could be a leopard. It would make sense - Firestar was to do with a prophecy about a lion, and Bramblestar about a tiger. You could be the third... Eagledawn, you might become leader some day! As for why the leopard is scared, I'm not fully sure. It might be you have to face a danger in the forest. Like Firestar and Bramblestar." The medicine cat's whiskers twitched in great interest and excitement about unraveling this mystery further.

"Thank you, Jayfeather. I really hope we can solve this soon," she meowed, beginning to walk off unsteadily. "Hey," he called after her. "I think you should stay here for the rest of the night. You don't look really healthy." Eagledawn stopped, watching as he arranged a pile of moss into an extra nest, then circled around it to face her, flicking his tail towards the nest in an inviting way. "I'd give you something, but I won't risk disturbing signs from StarClan." The she-cat nodded, plopping down onto the nest and closing her eyes for a rest that felt like moons. The only image she had received from her dream then was an image of Silverpelt, with the large, thunderous eagle invading. _Maybe the eagle's the danger! _she thought to herself. It would certainly be a hard opponent to overcome. When she woke up, all pain had disappeared and she felt as fresh as any warrior waking up in the morning. Hearing rustling deeper into the den, she decided to tell Jayfeather.

"Hey, Jayfeather!" she called, and the tom appeared to her. "I had another dream. It was short this time, just a single image. I was in Silverpelt, and the cats were gathered around the giant eagle," she told him. "Anyway, I'm better now. Can I go?" Jayfeather nodded in agreement.

"I'll think more about the dreams. It's still too early for any warriors to be up, so you can go back and rest a bit more." Eagledawn purred, meowing thanks to the medicine cat, and padded into the warrior's den, sitting in her nest for what seemed like a moon before dozing off.

She felt a nudging at her flank, then a second nudge before she opened her left eye and pricked her ear, then turning to face a small, flame-coloured tom. _Oh. It's my apprentice,_ she thought, expecting something more cryptic. "About time you woke up!" Flamepaw mewed. Eagledawn stretched out her paw and hit him gently as a warning.

"This is the _warrior'_s den, Flamepaw. Wait for me outside," she sighed.

"Oh. Sorry..." Flamepaw apologised, padding off with his tail at a medium height, which made his expression hard to read.

"At least he follows orders," she mewed to herself, then sat for longer still, thinking about the dreams she had, and she began grooming her own neck. _What is this thing?_ Eagledawn thought. _What is it supposed to do?_ She pricked her ears at a rustling noise, and only saw Briarlight crawling around the nests and outside. "Come on, you lazy furball," she ordered herself. "If that she-cat can get up, then you can." She sighed, moving her legs upwards. It wobbled for a moment, still feeling unsteady, then strengthened instantly. She padded outside the den and saw Flamepaw sitting at the fern tunnel entrance, looking crossly at his mother, who in turned stared straight at Eagledawn with hostility before walking off to the fresh-kill pile, her paws hitting heavily on the flat grass. The black-and-white she-cat flicked her tail, wondering what had occurred in her absencet, and appeared at the front of the fern tunnel. "You ready?" she meowed. Flamepaw nodded eagerly, and the two set off.

The pair had walked around through the forest before reaching the river, where she saw two she-cats, one old and one young, sharing tongues. One was Mistystar, the leader of RiverClan, though Eagledawn failed to recognise her apprentice. In turn, Mistystar had thought the same. She recognised Eagledawn, but not _her_apprentice. "Greetings, Eagledawn. Who's your apprentice?" she asked.

"This is Flamepaw. Who's your apprentice?" As Eagledawn introduced Flamepaw, she noticed in his eyes that he had an interest in the RiverClan apprentice, and his eyes were cloudy. She glanced at the RiverClan apprentice, just to see her having the same expression. _Stop it, you love-birds,_ she thought.

"Hi, Flamepaw. I'm Mistystar, and this is Rainpaw," she mewed. Eagledawn had thought she heard her apprentice _purring_ when he heard that name. She shook her head, giggling.

"Well," Eagledawn mewed. "We'd better get going. Gotta show this little one the borders." The two she-cats mewed their goodbyes, and Mistystar disappeared through the bushes. Eagledawn observed as Flamepaw gazed at Rainpaw, the same cloudy look in his eyes, before she finally disappeared and Flamepaw had snapped out of his trance. "You like her, don't you?" Eagledawn mused. Blushing, her apprentice replied hastily.

"Um... No, I don't! I-I was only watching her to make sure she didn't tr-" He stopped and read Eagledawn's disbelieving expression. "Nevermind, you got me... I do..." Eagledawn giggled.

"Don't worry, you little furball. I won't tell anyone." She heard a sigh of relief, and the two continued through, reaching the edge of the Thunderpath, where beyond was ShadowClan territory.

"What was ShadowClan life like?" Flamepaw asked. The sudden question had surprised Eagledawn, and she wondered why he was so curious about it. Though, she answered honestly.

"Well, I'm not sure how much different it would be to ThunderClan. I haven't exactly gotten the opportunity to be an Eaglekit or an Eaglepaw. The deputy was mean, though." Flamepaw gazed at his mentor.

"Who was the deputy?" he asked. "Russetfur at the time. It's Rowanclaw now, though," she spat out the name like venom.

"He should eat some badger dung!" the apprentice blurted out.

"_She_ was still honourable! Even if she did have a particular hate on ThunderClan... At least she wasn't like _Tigerstar," _the black-and-white she-cat remarked, with an unintended edgy voice. Flamepaw looked down the Thunderpath, seeing an incoming monster. Eagledawn jumped back, but Flamepaw hanged with his mouth open, as if he was... _enjoying_ the scents. She heard him chuckle at her reaction, and stepped forward to grab him, when the monster passed by with a heavy wind. "Mouse dung! Flamepaw, stay away from the monsters! They're really dangerous. When our old medicine cat got ran over, her leg was completely broken! And, you know Briarlight? She wasn't run over, but what happened to her can happen to you."

Regretfully, she saw his apprentice flinch, but he only bowed his. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Eagledawn flicked her tail as a signal to stop.

"Just be careful, okay? Sorry doesn't feed the clan, and Sunstreak would be devastated if you were gone so early." With a hint of amusement, she had added, "and so would Rainpaw." Her apprentice flicked his tail and relaxed, chuckling.

"I wouldn't mock me if I were you. I know how you feel about Tigertail." His sudden knowledge of such matters surprised her, but at this moment she knew exactly what to respond with.

"Yes, and I know how you feel about Rainpaw. Your point?" Flamepaw looked over at the Thunderpath, giving his mentor the assumption that she had 'won' the conversation. Finally, he had responded.

"Fine. Don't tell anyone about Rainpaw, and I won't tell anyone about Tigertail." The mentor considered his offer and ended up accepting, even if she didn't get anything in the end. Eagledawn paused to drink the air for a moment, scenting out a patrol, and saw Lionblaze and his apprentice approaching. "We'd better go. Remember you said we'd do a bit of hunting," he mewed, and the two began to continue.

"Correction; I said we _might._ Anyway, yes, let's get a move on. There's bound to be a mouse or two somewhere, and we're both hungry." Flamepaw nodded, setting off before the she-cat could whisper a word, and she had followed. After a short walk, the pair stopped and began to sniff. "What do you smell?" she questioned.

"Mice," the apprentice responded. She nodded and watched as he crouched down into a huntingposition, leaping into a bush and coming back out with a mouse in his mouth.

"Well done, but I thought you hesitated too much. It almost got away. Bury it and we'll find some more to hunt."

**A/N: **The story's pretty boring as of now, but trust me, it gets better! You can see the chapters getting longer and stuff! And now, I shall give you a few facts about this story. I'll be doing one fact per chapter, but since I only started this now in chapter 4 (including the prologue since this is actually chapter 3) I'll do 4 facts in this.  
><strong>1<strong>: I COULD translate that Mohican dialogue at the very beginning of chapter 1, but I just don't want to. You can find out what it means for yourself c:  
><strong>2<strong>: I could also show you the original draft of Eagledawn's Destiny, but I just won't. It's terrible.  
><strong>3<strong>: In the original draft, Tigertail didn't exist. Eagledawn's potential love interest was Graystripe- WHOA WAIT WHAT Yeah they had a pretty weird relationship. THEY EVEN DREAMED ABOUT EACH OTHER IN THIS CHAPTER LIKE WHAT :OO  
><strong>4<strong>: This story is the fifth of its series, Thunder's Forms. The first one is a crappy crossover, the second one is just crappy in general, the third one... well, there isn't a third one, actually, and I never got around to finishing number four. You don't need to know about those, anyway. They don't tie into each other at all, so I guess I can't really call it a series. 


	5. Chapter 4 - Abnormalities

On the way back to the ThunderClan camp, they had seen Snakerocks, and not an adder to be seen resting as usual. "Something's wrong," she muttered to herself so only her own ears could here. Alarmingly, a spotted, light tail and abnormally large hindpaw dashed inside the nearby tunnel where the dog pack had taken residence many moons ago. Remembering her dream and the painful yowls, her claws unsheathed and she shivered, turning back to her apprentice briefly. "Flamepaw, go back to camp. This might be dangerous." She had expected a protest, but surprisingly, none came. The apprentice simply nodded and ran. Cautiously, she approached the entrance, stepping one paw forward and expecting an overgrown feather to hover down in front of her.

But none came.

So, she stepped inside, but what did come was the glowing, green eyes, and another yowl of pain. She whimpered in terror. But the beast only stood still for a moment before collapsing. Realising that it meant no harm and instead _needed help_, she stepped inside the tunnel and dragged her paws across its body to feel its shape. "A cat," the black-and-white warrior muttered, and grabbed a forepaw of the large cat. It was hard but she managed to drag the limp body outside and into the sun where she could see it. Her jaws dropped and she yowled in even more terror when the small she-cat saw what the intruder, exactly, was. **_"What in StarClan?!"_** she yowled, shrinking back. It _couldn't be_what she thought it was. **_"W-what... A-are... Y-you...?" _**She barely saw as the clear, green eyes of the... thing... opened. Eagledawn had suddenly felt light-headed in a mixed feeling of confusion and fear. A voice had come from what monster.

"Please... don't be scared..." he simply muttered. Eagledawn took his words literally but felt no different. She jumped across his hind paws and sat in front of his piercing eyes, her fear scent reeking the whole forest. "I know... how you feel..." he responded to her scent. "Please, don't be scared by me. I cannot change who I am..." When she studied his body carefully, Eagledawn saw a huge cut in between his flank and back. On top of that, surrounding the scar were smaller cuts and bruises. She realised his words meant truth, that she _shouldn't _be scared of the large, spotted cat, because even if he had intent, he could not harm her in this condition. She could still hardly believe what she had seen. A real, _living,_ leopard.

"I-I'll go get the medicine cat! You wait here!" she meowed with haste.

"No..." he called after her. "Don't let _any cat_ know that I live here," the leopard replied. She shook her head.

"Jayfeather already knows about the prophecy. It's no use to hide it from him. Besides, you can't _not_ trust a medicine cat." The large cat remained silent, so Eagledawn had immediately sprinted off to camp. When she was there, she saw her apprentice and other cats preoccupied with other business, and she slipped into the medicine cat's den. "Jayfeather!" she whispered. Not hearing a reply, she padded further into the den and called again.

"Oh..." she heard. "Yes, Eagledawn?" he came out.

"I need you, right _now._ There's no time to explain, just hurry!" she answered in desperation. "And bring some cobwebs as well," she added. The medicine cat nodded, crawling into the shadows and coming out with a wad of cobwebs. "No, no... This injury is _huge._ We need more than that!" He hesitated for a moment, looking at her as if she was a mad hare, but without saying anything he came with more cobwebs, and the two set back to Snakerocks. "Hey!" she called, and she saw the leopard's spotted tail swishing in signal to come. Jayfeather stumbled through the ferns, dragging his paws across the figure to recognise its shape, and dropped the cobwebs in confusion and awe, fear scent starting to drift through.

"Whoa..." he mewed. Shaking his head, he grabbed the cobwebs and began work, covering the large wounds. "So, what happened? And who are you?" he asked the leopard.

"I'm a descendant of LeopardClan. Part of the last group alive, though they're gone and now I'm the only one left. I was given the name Falconclaw. We were attacked by Twolegs. As we were evacuating, we had to cross the Thunderpath, and a monster had hit me along here. It wasn't as bad as usual, thank StarClan, but to put it worse on the same part I was scarred when a dog bit and ripped through me as I tried to return to the forest. That's how I'm here now..." he breathed heavily, and Jayfeather lay in front of him next to Eagledawn.

"Just relax. You'll be fine," Eagledawn said.

A few minutes felt like hours as Jayfeather had finished his work, handing the leopard some sort of berry. "Juniper," the medicine cat meowed. "Eat it." Falconclaw shuffled on his paws and picked up the berry with his tongue before eating it.

"Thank you," he bowed gratefully at the cats.

"You should stay at our clan. We'd be more than happy to take such a mighty warrior," Eagledawn proposed. Falconclaw shook his head.

"And freak out just about every cat in this forest? No, thanks. But, should you need me any time," he lifted off his haunches and continued, "I can help you." The mottled grey figure of Jayfeather spoke.

"But where will you stay?" he asked.

"At the tunnel, of course. Should any dog return, I'll rip them to shreds."

"You know about that?" Eagledawn questioned.

"Yes. I can smell their stale stench. The wind won't exactly find its way in the cave and wash it away," the leopard answered, entering the tunnel. "May StarClan light your path." Eagledawn sat down and sighed, sad that due to what he was, he could not do more. The two waited for nothing in particular, when a strong scent had filled their nostrils... And both she and Jayfeather froze, silent, cold, and terrified, when they had realised what it was. Snapping into her senses, she tapped the medicine cat on his scruff with her muzzle, and they both ran from what threat came behind them.

"Foxes!" she screamed, hoping someone would hear her, but none would.

"Here!" she heard a voice, and she turned towards a tree where low branches hung. Jayfeather scrambled up, and she followed, unsheathing her claws, but then she heard a deadly _snap._ And before she knew it, Eagledawn was stuck, struggling desperately to move, but her legs would not operate. She tried to breathe, but it would not work. Something was suffocating her. She looked up, her eyes clouded with fear, and when she saw Jayfeather sitting up the tree, he had the same gaze. And the foxes behind her barked, their breath getting hot and sticky on her fur. She closed her eyes, prepared for her final moments, when a mighty roar was heard, and her eyes shot open. She tried to wheel around to see what was happening, but only pain shot through her whole body and only more air was knocked out of her. She could not speak, or even whimper, and she had to sit there, frozen. _What was happening?_ she thought, fearfully. In a few moments she had realised the foxes were gone. "Eagledawn!" a familiar voice called, and Jayfeather landed on the ground in front of her. "Hold on. We'll try to get you out," he mewed. _Out?_ she asked herself. _Out of what? What's happening? Why can't I breathe? Or move?_

"This one's strong," a voice had called, though her sense of hearing was clouded by fear and she could not recognise who the voice belonged to.

"Stupid Twolegs," Jayfeather replied. "They've got their own nests. Why don't they just stay _out_ of this forest?" Eagledawn tried to breathe in, but all that came out was the tattered, desperate whimpers as she struggled, but whatever had held onto her neck was only getting tighter.

"Hold on, Eagledawn," the strange voice told her, "It's a fox trap. It's got you pretty tight." _A fox trap!_ she tried to yelp, but again she felt constrained.

"Falconclaw said hold on, you mouse brain," Jayfeather growled in frustration. Then he shook his head. "It's no use trying to pry it out. It'll only get tighter. I'll dig out that end, try to snap it," the medicine cat ordered. The leopard followed obediently, unsheathing his claws and fumbling with the wire.

The collar had loosened a bit, enough to allow her to talk, and she realised that Jayfeather's plan was working. But when she turned back to see him, his paws had looked like it would bleed soon. "Is StarClan for me today?" she asked. The medicine cat stopped and gazed at her golden eyes.

"No. We'll never have the Eaglestar we need if it was." Eagledawn's muzzle gaped open, taken by surprise by his words.

"You really mean that?" she asked, and the medicine cat nodded.

"I smell cats!" Falconclaw meowed. Jayfeather stopped to sniff.

"That's definitely a patrol. Go. Quickly." The leopard burst off as quick as lightning as the other cats approached. It was Sunstreak, Nightpaw, Lionblaze and Tigertail.

"What in StarClan happened here?" Tigertail asked in surprise and concern.

"Fo-" Eagledawn began, but was cut off when another snap was heard and Jayfeather made a short mew in pain. As the trap burned further into her skin, he turned to the patrol.

"Ah, mouse dung!" he yelled. "I'm sorry, Eagledawn. My paws are too weak to dig out the whole thing. After all, I am a medicine cat," he sighed.

"We'll take over! I'll dig it out! Sunstreak, you try to break the string." The ginger she-cat hesitated for a moment, narrowing her eyes that were blazed with a distant anger, then nodded and disappeared behind Eagledawn's point of view.

"Well," Lionblaze started. "There's why you can't move," he commented, pointing his paw at Eagledawn's legs which had been three quarters buried in mud. She let out a silent groan in distress, and felt as the collar had gradually loosened. She turned her head to see Tigertail had dug out the end of the trap and took over with the string, while Sunstreak and Lionblaze began digging Eagledawn's paws out of the mud. The small she-cat gasped for the air she awaited for what felt like moons.

"Thank you!" she called out gratefully to the patrol. _Especially you, Tigertail..._

"Thank StarClan you came on time," Jayfeather sighed. "But why is it so tight? Traps aren't usually like that." The golden-amber tom padded up to Eagledawn and poked her fluffy neck.

"It's because of this, I think," he answered.

"Because of what?" the medicine cat asked.

"Her neck. For something so fluffy it feels harder than fur should," he replied, pricking his ears in remembrance. In remembrance of what, Eagledawn wondered. Suddenly, the collar had snapped open and she had felt herself come free, pulling herself out of the mud with a mighty leap.

"Thank you... So much..." Eagledawn panted.

"Let's get back to camp," Jayfeather ordered, and Eagledawn followed, taking a glance backwards to see that Sunstreak and Tgertail followed them, while the rest of the patrol was gone. Luckily, neither had questioned why she or the medicine cat had been out. To her horror, Flamepaw was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's my apprentice?" she questioned.

"We should be asking you that," Sunstreak hotly replied.

"I-I sent him straight here!" She felt a sudden push at her open jaw which made her almost choke, and wheeled to her side, seeing Jayfeather who had held a serious expression. "What was that for?" she asked.

"Poppy seeds, calm your whiskers," he sighed, "I'll want to see you tomorrow." Such a result was that Eagledawn felt like curling up in the warriors' den and sleeping for a few moons, and she opened her jaws in a wide yawn. Tigertail had led her way to the den and watched as she drifted off to sleep on her nest, and Eagledawn couldn't help but thinking her and the white tom could have a future together. When the small she-cat awoke, it was only just dawning, and she took her paws to the medicine cat's den, where Jayfeather had gone through his stock of herbs. He sniffed the air a bit before turning to face Eagledawn. "Hello." She held her tail high in greeting, and paused for a moment when she realised he had not returned the greeting.

"Hi," she meowed, lowering her ears. "I just came to let you know that I'm okay now. My neck still hurts, and my legs are a bit stiff, but it's nothing bad," she explained, padding up to the medicine cat, her golden gaze locked onto his cloudy blue eyes.

"Are any of the other warriors awake?" he asked.

"No, but if you wanted to know, why didn't you check yourself?" Eagledawn asked curiously. He chuckled a bit, flattening his ears against his head in embarrassment.

"That's right. I never told you, did I?" he chuckled. "I don't show it very well, but I'm actually blind." She pricked her ears in surprise and widened her eyes at the surprising fact.

"I... No, I didn't know that at all!" she remarked.

"It's alright. Well, you can go now. Day's coming and you should go get your apprentice." The she-cat nodded gratefully and padded off into the apprentice's den, watching a stir from a ginger apprentice in the nest nearest to her.

"Flamepaw?" she whispered softly, careful not to wake the others.

"Hiii!" the reply softly came, and the ginger apprentice leaped at her, catching her by surprise and tumbling her over.

"Yeah. Hi," she sighed, pushing herself up.

"Flamepaw's asleep. So is Molepaw," the apprentice told her.

"So, you're not Flamepaw, then?" Eagledawn asked, her right ear pricking. The apprentice pointed her tail to another nest where Flamepaw slept soundly.

"Evidently not," the young one answered, "Foxleap isn't awake yet, and I'm waiting," he added.

"So, you're Cherrypaw then, right?" she questioned, and the fluffy she-cat nodded. "If your mentor isn't awake at dawn, you should probably go back to sleep until he wakes you," Eagledawn told her, then padded towards Flamepaw's nest and nudged him with her nose. She heard a groan and a reply;

"Go away... I'm trying to sleep..." it came.

"Flamepaw, get up." Her ear pricked when she heard another voice.

"Huh?" She turned her head to see a brown-and-cream apprentice wake up to the commotion.

"She didn't mean you, Molepaw," Cherrypaw replied, but silenced when a dark cream she-cat had entered the den, and Molepaw followed her outside.

"Can't training wait?" Flamepaw asked, and Eagledawn sighed. _Why can't my apprentice be as obedient as Molepaw and Cherrypaw,_ she wondered.

"That's the sort of thing a kittypet would say. Do you want to stay an apprentice for the rest of your life?" Eagledawn retorted. She saw his eyes widen.

"Some of our greatest warriors were kittypets!" he hissed. _Oh,_ she thought, _respecting kittypets, now?_

"_Were._ Not _are,_" she replied.

"I said 'were'," Flamepaw yawned.

"Great StarClan," she hissed to herself. "With a brain like that, you'll never become a warrior! Besides, nothing gives you an excuse to be lazy," she meowed playfully.

"Says the one who's of ShadowClan," he chuckled, not realising how far he had gone. That had boiled Eagledawn up like the sun in the middle of Greenleaf.

"ShadowClan isn't lazy. They never were," her words turned from sincere to deeply offended and angered. "And I'm full ThunderClan blood, don't forget that. Now, get your lazy mouse-brain up or you'll be as much use as a dead fox!" she yelled. The apprentice looked startled, but he pushed himself off his nest and stretched.

"I need to see Jayfeather, first," he told her.

"Why?" Eagledawn asked, bothered by the young tom's disobedience.

"I had a dream - two dreams, to be correct - you interrupted the second one. I don't know if they were dreams or not." Eagledawn flicked her tail, giving him permission to leave. As she watched the ginger tom leave, another came in. A reddish-brown tabby tom. Eagledawn held her tail high in greeting, and Foxleap returned the greeting. Cherrypaw padded towards her mentor, then waited outside.

"Where's Flamepaw going?" Foxleap asked.

"Oh, he said he needed Jayfeather for something," she answered, reluctantly, then lifted off her haunches and padded out, stretching as she felt the sun bathe her black pelt.

"Good morning, Eagledawn," a voice called, and she turned her head slightly to the left to see a ginger she-cat that seemed invisible in the sunset.

"To you too, Squirrelflight," Eagledawn nodded.

"You're on dawn patrol with Foxleap, Cherrypaw, Flamepaw and Cloudtail," Squirrelflight told her.

"Actually, Flamepaw needed to go see Jayfeather," she replied.

"Oh. Alright. I'll send Whitewing in his place," Squirrelflight meowed. The two meowed their goodbyes and Eagledawn padded to the warrior's den, padding under the bush and scanning the nests. Graystripe and Millie sat beside the nettle patch sharing tongues. Nearby a white she-cat softly lay in a nest, the rise and fall of her flank steady. She weaved through empty and full nests to reach the white she-cat and sat down.

"Is this Whitewing?" she asked Graystripe.

"Yeah," he answered, and Eagledawn nudged her with her muzzle.

"Yeah?" a sleepy voice came.

"Whitewing? You're on dawn patrol," Eagledawn answered.

"Who's on the patrol?" the snowy she-cat asked.

"Foxleap, Cherrypaw, Cloudtail and I," she answered. Whitewing steadily rose from her nest and the two she-cats padded outside, seeing the others in the patrol waiting patiently.

"Let's go," Foxleap ordered, and the patrol set off one at a time through the gorse tunnel. She watched as Cherrypaw crawled in, then Foxleap, Whitewing, Cloudtail, and finally her. They had passed near the river going downstream before stopping. "What do you smell?" Foxleap asked his apprentice. Cherrypaw lifted her nose, sniffing the air.

"A dove!" she whispered, and crouched. The warriors watched with interest as the ginger apprentice padded towards a tree, then climbed without a sound. She sat on the branch patiently before leaping onto one next to her, catching the perched bird. Before she could lose balance, she jumped off with a great push of her hind legs and rushed back to her mentor.

"Well done," Foxleap praised, and the two continued, heading back to the trees before Eagledawn stopped.

"You alright?" Cloudtail asked.

"Yeah, I just need to make dirt for a moment," Eagledawn answered.

"Hurry," Cloudtail told her, and she padded through a bracken fern that had arched intimidatingly above her, sniffing the air to realise she trotted close to ShadowClan border. A jet black cat sat nearby in a tree just at the edge of the ThunderClan side of the Thunderpath, his emerald eyes seemingly not noticing her and his tail curling below the branch on which he sat, and as she focused more clearly onto this cat, she could feel her dirt being let loose as she gazed, her muzzle dropping.

"Sh-Shade...l-leaf...?"

**A/N:** Oh, great StarClan! Look who's come back! Thank you if you've even just taken the time to read this, and so sorry this chapter came out late! Y-you see, I was sick, and then I forgot this website existed, and... _I BLAME SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN. _Anyway, as always, your one fact for the chapter (oh StarClan I didn't think this through):  
>Silverfall and Firestripe are Norwegian Forest cats. I guess... that's cool... -Shrugs- ?<br>**Kay Kay:** Aww sweet, my first review! Thanks. I try hard.


	6. Chapter 5 - Childhood Memories

The black tom glanced at her with deep green eyes and, startled, bounded off the branch and pelted across the Thunderpath, back to ShadowClan territory, just as a monster came past, leaving Eagledawn behind and confused. Quickly, she turned around and trotted back to the patrol. "There was a rogue," the black-and-white she-cat explained, "black with green eyes, and a bit old."

"Should we be worried?" Whitewing asked.

"We'll tell Bramblestar when we get back," Cloudtail answered. The rest of the dawn patrol was clean, so the group returned to camp.

"I'll tell him," Whitewing offered, and padded off towards Highrock. Eagledawn watched as Cherrypaw took her dove towards the Fresh-kill pile before padding up and stopping her.

"That looks nice. How about I take that and you can take that squirrel over there to the elders?" the black-and-white she-cat suggested. The ginger apprentice nodded, passing the dove to Eagledawn and taking the plump squirrel she had pointed out to the fallen log that was the elders' den. The small warrior gazed up at the light blue, late morning cloudless sky, then unsheathed her claws and plucked some feathers off the bird before wolfing it down. As soon as she finished, Whitewing returned and sat next to her.

"Bramblestar wants you," the white warrior informed. Eagledawn nodded, taking a vole from the fresh kill pile and padding to the leader's den, curious about what the leader might have called her for.

"Eagledawn," Bramblestar called. She entered and sat, offering him the vole she had taken. He gratefully picked it up and lay it in his nest to have for later. "Whitewing told me you saw a rogue in the ShadowClan border while making dirt. Rather old, with black pelt and green eyes," he recalled. Eagledawn nodded, confirming the statement. "You know this rogue, don't you?" She froze for a bit, pricking her ears in alarm and allowing her mouth to drop slightly. "It's alright, Eagledawn. You can tell me," the brown tabby reassured. Eagledawn sighed in relief and turned her eyes to the side before gazing into his amber glance.

"Yes. At least, I think so. I'm sure it's Shadeleaf," she answered, her voice shaking nervously, which Bramblestar had acknowledged.

"He may want something from you. He may still smell just a bit of ShadowClan on you. After all, every cat here smells that bit of ShadowClan on you, just as every cat smells a bit of RiverClan on Graystripe, though not anymore is it to the point where we're alarmed by it." Eagledawn simply nodded before opening her mouth to speak.

"What will we do?" she asked. The ThunderClan leader looked to the ground, his eyes fogged in thought, and turned back to Eagledawn.

"He may be planning something. For now we can only wait. I'll assign extra patrols and tell them to keep an eye out for your father." Bramblestar flicked his tail to dismiss Eagledawn. She padded outside the den and walked in front of the warrior's den, laying down with nothing in particular to do except for think. She felt a sudden jolt in surprise and almost leaped, though she only gasped and turned her head to see a spotted tail retreating into a gorse bush. Knowing who this tail belonged to, she squeezed inside the bush, and, as expected, met Falconclaw.

"This is really risky. What in StarClan are you doing here?" the she-cat asked.

"I know, I know... Just... Meet me beside the river, okay?" the leopard replied. Eagledawn sighed, bothered by his appearance _inside_ the camp.

"Why?" she questioned. The leopard did not say, only made a great, strong leap over the bramble wall and dashed off. She squeezed outside the bush, shaking and scratching her fur before going through the gorse tunnel and making her way to the river. As she approached, she saw Falconclaw sitting by patiently, watching as the black water swirled its way downstream. "Okay, what in StarClan do you want..." Eagledawn sighed, plopping down beside him, somewhat intimidated by his massive size compared to her.

"It's not _StarClan._ In fact, what you're meant for has nothing to do with them," Falconclaw replied, still watching the river.

"You saw her," he said, "You saw the Eagle." Eagledawn simply nodded thoughtfully, remembering her dream where it had invaded StarClan's grounds. "You-" He stopped when the pair heard a rustling in the bush, then a small bark, and a red snout popped out from a nearby bush and suddenly jumped. Before long, several foxes were upon them, and the young warrior had fallen back in panic. "Yes, we never took care of those foxes, did we?" Falconclaw mused, unsheathing his claws. "I'll take care of them," he smirked, crouching to a battle position with his back paw outstretched. Eagledawn sat, every strand of fur on her pelt pricked, as the leopard turned his emerald eyes to face her in a grin. "Don't fear them, Eagledawn. Today's the day you witness an ancient warrior in battle." More foxes had appeared from the bushes, though the she-cat only sat, putting her faith in the big cat. One of the foxes had leaped and attempted to strike the leopard, who dropped down and rolled on his back while the pack had crowded around him. He rolled around again in a crouch and locked eyes on one of the foxes. The ones at his flank had moved to attack, but Falconclaw swiftly stepped forward where he met the fox in front of him, who clawed at him, but he batted away the fox's paws and sank his fangs onto its open neck, killing it in a swift movement, wheeling to face three other foxes that had attacked him together. He jumped back before leaping forward, landing on a fox's spine which he clawed open. The two other foxes had tried to escape, but Falconclaw bit one's leg and pulled it back, making it fall limp, then sprinted to the other and slashed its neck. Now in peace, he grabbed the corpses and dropped them in the river one by one so that they were swept away, before reaching the limp but alive one. He picked the fox up by its scruff, who hung helplessly and fearfully, and dropped it next to the river, allowing it to run off. "I don't think they'll even step a paw on one blade of grass for a while," he chuckled.

"Aren't you the least bit concerned someone might find those foxes in the river?" Eagledawn asked, astounded by the power of this one loner, who shrugged.

"It's their problem now," he chuffed. "As I was saying..."

"I smell cats," Eagledawn informed warily.

"Ugh. I can't ever find a good time to talk to you, can I?" the leopard scowled.

"Well, it wasn't exactly a good time to talk to me when you sneaked into camp," Eagledawn replied.

"Fair point," Falconclaw meowed, turning tail and retreating.

"Stormpelt?!" a voice almost yowled, and she shot her head towards the voice, lifting off her haunches and unsheathing her claws in a startled manner. A grey, mottled and muscular tom stood with an open gaze and immediately she recognised the ShadowClan tom.

"Wolfleap!" she hissed, "What in StarClan are you doing here?! Get out of here!" Another fox-like cat came, and she had recognised it to be Foxpelt.

"What happened, Wolfleap? I heard you yowl a name!" The she-cat turned her head to face Eagledawn. "Stormpelt...?" Two kits had poked out from the grass.

"Be careful, Foxpelt!" they called to their queen.

"You even brought _kits_ here? What is the meaning of this?" Eagledawn asked, narrowing her eyes to a slit. She saw her apprentice cough, a stream of red flowing from his mouth blending to his ginger fur.

"We came here to join ThunderClan, Nightclaw told me in a dream that that was his final wish for me and Foxpelt," Wolfleap meowed. Eagledawn unsheathed her claws and clenched them dangerously, ripping up a few blades of grass.

"Not after you attacked my apprentice, you won't!" The two kits yowled in dread, running behind their mother for protection. Foxpelt unsheathed her claws.

"We were attacked by foxes! Flamepaw saved our lives!" she hissed. Flamepaw had tried to push himself up but failed. Eagledawn widened her eyes in fear for her apprentice.

"How am I supposed to believe that if he hasn't said so himself? And why are you here in the first place? Blackstar is going to hear about this if you don't explain yourself right now!" she hissed, trying not to yowl. Wolfleap grabbed Flamepaw by the scruff, and Eagledawn had stepped forward crouching further in wariness. Wolfleap clearly exposed a neck wound.

"Look at his neck! How could he talk in this state? You tell me! He stopped talking a while ago! And why would _I _lie to you? I've never lied in my life and you know that! I got punished many times because I told the truth of my actions!" Eagledawn's eyes narrowed again as she unsheathed her claws and relaxed her fur a bit.

"Fine," she sighed, "but I don't expect Bramblestar to take in ShadowClan-born warriors like you. Also, keep note that I will be watching you." Flamepaw took a gasp after he was released and laid down gently.

"Eagledawn, shut up. I'm not pure ThunderClan." _See,_ she thought, _He talked just then, mouse-brains,_ though she hadn't wanted to continue the argument, and she was indeed surprised to find out about his heritage. Then she had felt dishonoured.

"Do not tell your mentor to shut up! And that doesn't mean you're ShadowClan-born!" she retorted. _Why _this _apprentice? Why?!_ she asked herself. He took another short gasp to speak.

"So what? What if I was born in one of the other clans, would you hate me? Where they are born does not matter or the blood does not matter. The heart does." _This mouse-brain!_ she yowled in her mind, bothered by his ignorance.

"Excuse me? Did I ever say there was anything wrong with the other clans? No! I just said I don't expect Bramblestar to take them in without at least being watched!" she argued. "Besides, I do feel especially uncomfortable around ShadowClan and you should know why," she mused in a calmer tone.

"I share the same blood as them, so if you insult them, you insult me." Flamepaw mewed.

"Not another word..." she muttered to herself. "I didn't insult them! Besides, weren't you the one who called ShadowClan lazy? Now, if you're done being a second Squirrelpaw, let's get going before you bleed dry!" she finished, and Wolfleap picked the apprentice up.

"Thanks for standing up for us. You're just like Nightclaw." _Mmhmm..._

"Thanks," Flamepaw smiled.

"Yes, thank you for disrespecting your mentor," Eagledawn retorted. "A cat has to have suspicions for her clan. We're not kittypets, after all, and we can't feel safe with everything."

"I feel... funny..." Flamepaw mewed. Eagledawn gasped as the young cat passed out.

"Let me carry him!" she meowed worriedly and concerned.

"Why?" Wolfleap asked, his whiskers twitching.

"Just do it! I'll carry him the rest of the way!" Without a word, the wolf-like cat passed the ginger tom and she dashed off towards camp, the other cats following close behind. As they passed through the gorse tunnel, cats around her had been watching, alarmed or estranged, at the newcomers. They had ran straight to Jayfeather's den, through the fern tunnel entrance and inside the crack. She lay down the bleeding apprentice. "Jayfeather!" she called, her voice cracking under the urgency.

"Eagledawn! What's wrong? Why do I smell ShadowClan?" the mottled tabby appeared.

"It doesn't matter! Flamepaw was attacked by foxes. He's unconscious and has a neck wound!" she called back. "Alright. I'll handle it. Go tell Sunstreak - and go explain these newcomers to the clan as well." Eagledawn nodded, suddenly remembering that Jayfeather could not see, and padded outside with the ShadowClan cats. Squirrelflight and Bramblestar sat at the centre of the clearing with suspicious looks on their faces, and Bramblestar called the group over.

"Who are these ShadowClan intruders?" he asked.

"I knew it! You've always been a ShadowClan cat!" a voice called from behind. She turned to see Sunstreak with a face as hostile as a badger.

"Hush, Sunstreak. We'll handle this," Bramblestar told her, and she sharply turned her head away and entered the medicine cat's den.

"Eagledawn?" an elder approached, and she saw her mother emerge from the elder's den and sit next to her. "Who are these?" she asked.

"Shimmerstripe, we'll talk to them. Please leave us in peace," Squirrelflight meowed. Shimmerstripe, thankfully, had agreed and kept her distance.

"This is Wolfleap, and that's Foxpelt, with her kits. I don't know their names-"

"-Owlkit and Sparrowkit-"

"Yes, thank you, Foxpelt. They were with Flamepaw for some reason when they got attacked by foxes. I don't know why, but we brought him here. I'm really concerned, but I think Sunstreak has her suspicions about me," Eagledawn explained, "Wolfleap said they came to join ThunderClan."

"I see..." Bramblestar nodded. "You'll have a bit of a difficult time getting the clan to trust you. Nevertheless... Welcome to ThunderClan," he meowed. She saw Wolfleap's eyes light up.

"Thank you, Bramblestar," he said. The leader only nodded and sent them off. Eagledawn had padded over the warrior's den, noticing that time had flown by so quickly and the sun had already set. She noticed that the moon was one day from being full, and she padded to the warrior's den to sleep.

"Can we talk now?" she heard a voice from the bushes, and almost leaped in panic.

"For StarClan's sake, Falconclaw, no!" she whispered.

"Fine..." he sighed, and disappeared over the bramble wall. Sighing, she padded inside and curled up to sleep. 

**A/N:** Okay okay okay okay, let me explain first, whatever you feel about these new characters (Foxpelt, Owlkit, Sparrowkit, Wolfleap) don't blame me for their actions, this includes Flamepaw, because these are NOT my characters. They're HeroicLightLion's characters. A good friend of mine I've known for 2 or 3 years. We write our stories together and she decides the actions for her characters while I decide the actions for my characters in her stories. Anyway, whoa! This chapter wasn't as long as the most recent ones! Oh well.  
>A friendly reminder that, per request, I can and WILL write a story dedicated to one of my OCs if you want to know more about them. I've already written a few.<p>

And, as always, your one fact of the day (OH STARCLAN I REALLY DIDN'T THINK THIS THROUGH):  
>Eagledawn has powers, but she isn't the one who controls them. :)<p>

**WarriorCatsRock:** Yuss! My second review! Thank you so much! ^_^  
>This was an awkwardly long author's note O_O''<p> 


	7. Chapter 6 - Our Kind

**A/N:** Ohh, dear. It's that time of the week again. What have I done? Oh well. New chapter for you guys - brace yourself, this is where it gets weird! Love ya.

The eagle emerged from the cliff side in a silhouette, its golden eyes glowing like the sun, then disappeared in a flurry of black feathers. Eagledawn was no longer afraid of the bird, as it would appear frequently in her dreams, if just for a heartbeat. _What are you doing? _the black-and-white she-cat wondered. _... In my dreams... what do you want?_ She felt herself being dragged down into darkness as a sudden shriek sounded. Battle-ready, her golden eyes shot open and the warrior leaped straight out of the warrior's den, only to see an apprentice scolding a kit angrily. Sparrowkit seemed unfazed and only laughed. The apprentice - _Eagledawn's_ apprentice, to be exact, stormed off. The black-and-white she-cat sat down and suppressed a _mrrow_ of laughter as she sensed Tigertail approaching her with a squirrel in his jaws. The white tom dropped it in front of her and plopped down next to the smaller she-cat. "Thanks," she mewed, her heart buzzing in sensation.

"How's your apprentice going?" he asked.

"Well... I don't think he likes me very much. One thing's for sure, he can be stubborn sometimes," the black-and-white she-cat sighed, watching as Flamepaw picked a vole from the fresh-kill pile and shared it with his brother, Nightpaw.

"All apprentices are like that," Tigertail commented, and she only nodded in agreement. As Nightpaw finished talking to him and walked off, Eagledawn saw Flamepaw lower his head and close his eyes.

"I'd better go talk to him. Be right back," she excused, and padded over to the ginger apprentice. "You okay, furball?" Eagledawn asked, a hint of playfulness in her words.

"Yeah, but I've had enough of kits for a lifetime," he answered.

"You're barely one yourself."

"I know... what's it like seeing Wolfleap and Foxpelt again?" Flamepaw asked. The sudden change of subject took her a moment to process, but Eagledawn thought of an honest answer for a moment.

"Kinda weird... really surprising, though I haven't talked to them a lot in my time as a ShadowClan cat," she mused.

"Is it true that Wolfleap always told the truth and got punished a lot for it?"

"He sure was respected by some of the other cats, but definitely not Blackstar or Russetfur," Eagledawn confirmed.

"Did you respect him?"

"I trusted him for it, but I thought it was mouse-brained. Sometimes you have to lie for the better of the forest."

He sighed. "Eagledawn... I'm sorry for being such a little mouse-brained fox dung." Eagledawn could almost hear the pleads for forgiveness just looking into his green eyes.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you..." the mentor weakly replied.

"No, no! It's my fault! You shouldn't be saying sorry to me! Is there anything I can do to make up for being such a pain?" Flamepaw protested.

"Well, we can forget it ever happened." He gave a serious gaze that told her he would change the subject again.

"Who was the cat that was with you yesterday?" the ginger tom added, "Another clan cat?" Her mouth gaped at his knowledge of the matter, though she tried her best to act coolly.

"H-him?" She turned her head away, trying to hide her embarrassment as she uncontrollably lowered her ears. "No one your puffball brain needs to be concerned with," she answered, her voice quivering.

"To me, it looked like a leopard," he meowed, quietly so only the two could hear.

_He knows too much! Come on, Eagledawn, just act natural,_ she thought again. "To me it looks like you should keep your mouth quiet. How do you know what a leopard looks like anyway? I don't suppose you've seen one," she replied, straightening her whiskers.

"Well, it was a bit big, and spotted," the ginger apprentice challenged.

"Well, whatever. I'll ask Rosepetal, Foxleap and Lionblaze what they're doing with their apprentices. C'mon," she mewed, getting off her haunches and padding towards Foxleap, who had just emerged from the warriors' den. "Hey, Foxleap. What are you planning on doing with Cherrypaw?" she asked. He noticed he turned his head and chuckled. When Eagledawn followed his gaze, she saw her apprentice chasing his own tail like a two-moons old. She flattened her ears, groaning in embarrassment when her apprentice froze after noticing the two warriors were watching him.

"Anyway, Rosepetal, Lionblaze and I were going to assess our apprentices." he meowed.

"Good! I'll assess Flamepaw, then," Eagledawn replied.

The Gathering was a long and rather boring one, though Eagledawn was glad to be returning home now. She smirked at the sight of the young black scrap of fur, Nightpaw, who seemed to have been excited about the whole thing. He lost control of himself and bounded right into Cherrypaw, who tumbled over and hit Flamepaw. She sighed, a pang of jealousy hitting her, as she wished as an apprentice she had clanmates to do the same with.

"Why did you do that, mouse-brain?!" he yowled at his brother, before turning his attention to Cherrypaw. "You alright?" he asked. The two apprentices pushed themselves up, flicking her ears in annoyance.

"I'm fine," she mewed. As they entered the camp, Cherrypaw and Nightpaw hurried to the apprentices den, while Flamepaw padded off to see Wolfleap, who was on his way to the nursery.

"Young ones. Always so funny," the crackling old voice of Shimmerstripe came behind her.

"Yes. But one day, they'll all make fine warriors," she replied, getting off her haunches and meowing goodbye to her mother before padding off to the warriors den.

"I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Nightpaw, Flamepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?" Bramblestar called.

"I do," the black tom answered.

"I do, I promise to follow the warrior code until it is my time to join StarClan." Flamepaw replied, his pelt shining like a brand of fire in sunlight. Eagledawn turned to see Squirrelflight's eyes light up, and the black-and-white she-cat realised that Flamepaw had reminded her of her father, Firestar. Sunstreak's whiskers twitched in pride at his extra entry to the ceremony.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Nightpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Nightfang. StarClan honours your bravery and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Flamepaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Flameclaw. StarClan honours your bravery and your loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Bramblestar claimed.

"Nightfang! Flameclaw! Nightfang! Flameclaw!"

Eagledawn sat at the Great Rock where leaders sat at the Gathering, waiting for an unknown purpose. The trees were sinister and clouded, and she begun to wander whether or not she was, indeed, at Fourtrees. She heard an alarming shriek, and she was gripped harshly and lifted into the air. She felt like yowling, but it wouldn't escape her mouth as an eagle carried her up into the sky and above the clouds, where it then dived through them and another land was revealed. _StarClan!_ she thought, as the eagle carried her onto the ground. There, several of her ancestors shared tongues and went about their daily business. Several were gathered around something, and when Eagledawn neared to see, the cats parted and she gaped as a giant eagle was revealed, its flight feathers glowing like thunder.

"Hello, Eagledawn," the massive bird greeted, bowing its head. "You know not of who I am, nor does anyone here, correct?" Eagledawn nodded, still surprised at the size of the bird she had seen in her dreams before, where it would be distant. It was larger than she thought, to say the least! "StarClan does not know me. No feline ancestor does. Not SkyClan, or the Tribe of Endless Hunting. You, Eagledawn. You are destined for something alien to this forest. You are pledged as a legend to our Great Spirit," it continued.

"Wh-what? Who's that? Who are _you?!_" Eagledawn asked.

"A good question, young one; I am a mythological creature known as a Thunderbird. I am Wakinyan Tanka." The bird bowed as it introduced itself. She saw around her the warriors of StarClan grow uneasy.

"If I am not pledged to StarClan - to the warrior code - then what is it I must follow?" the she-cat questioned.

"Ah... Awes-kon-wa did not tell you, I see," the Thunderbird mused. Eagledawn remembered the wren spirit that had come to take her to ThunderClan when a ShadowClan warrior had kitnapped her. "I'll put it simply. After all, this meeting was planned to be brief... normally, our kind don't send prophecies, but it seems yours do, so I'm prompted to do so." She then told of a prophecy. _"Storm of cold cuts the leading thorns, and harsh snow rules over thunder in blood."_

Eagledawn gave a groan of frustration. "That wasn't very simple!"

"What more can I do? Your kind sees only glimpses of the future, and ours don't see anything at all, but whatever danger this is, ridding of it would help us all."

Two moons later passed like a breeze. By instinct her paws took her to the apprentice's den, scanning the nests for her apprentice. She sighed, turning away and shaking her head as she remembered the event that passed like a dream. "We haven't talked in a while," a low, raspy voice said, and Eagledawn jumped as she realised Falconclaw was now inside the camp exposed. She dashed inside the bush where the two had met before, and felt the force as the leaves burst out of the way when the big cat entered.

"You're getting really reckless!" she sighed, "Next thing you might as well show yourself to the whole forest!"

The leopard chuckled, blinking twice as he faced the cat of inferior size.

"Alright, Eagledawn. Whatever you say. Meet at Snakerocks?" he asked, smiling.

"Yeah. Just don't show yourself to another cat ever again." With that, Falconclaw crouched and made a great leap over the bramble wall. As Eagledawn left, another cat approached. It was Squirrelflight.

"I'm not even going to ask what you were doing in there. Anyway, you're on hunting patrol now. Dustpelt, Foxleap and Cherrypaw," she mewed. Eagledawn only nodded, continuing on to the bramble tunnel where Foxleap and Cherrypaw sat.

"What's taking Dustpelt so long?" the she-cat complained, though was ignored. After a few minutes of waiting, the dark brown tabby emerged from the warrior's den and they set off. After making it through the bramble tunnel, Foxleap approached Eagledawn.

"Dustpelt's been looking forward to hunting with me, so can you assess Cherrypaw?" he asked.

"Again?" Eagledawn perked one ear in confusion.

"Yes. Our last one didn't go quite well," he answered, looking as though he had been hiding something.

"Uhh... sure," she nodded.

"Cherrypaw! Will you be okay hunting by yourself?" Foxleap called. The apprentice's eyes lit up and nodded in excitement, hopping through the foliage. With a signal from Foxleap, Eagledawn rose to the trees, hopping from one branch to the other to follow the swift Cherrypaw. As she followed her, however, her desperation to keep up turned into horror as soon as she realised the direction the young cat was following.

She was going towards Snakerocks.

**A/N:** Well, damn. Something bad's going to happen next! What did I tell ya, eh? It's weird. I know. But, eh. And whoa, I didn't realise how short this chapter'd be. Anyway, another fact of the week for y'all.  
>-Wolfleap is a reincarnation of his own father, but no one knows this. I swear I wasn't the one to decide this.<p> 


	8. Chapter 7 - Destined

Eagledawn bounded through the trees faster now, hoping she could reach her ancient friend before Cherrypaw did, however to her dismay the rocks had already been in sight. The ginger apprentice wheeled around them before falling back and whimpering in fear. It was evident that she had seen what Eagledawn had been trying to hide: Falconclaw, whose eyes were widened in alarm. "Please," he pleaded, "don't tell anyone about me!" It seemed his plead was falling on deaf ears, as the apprentice was frozen to the spot, only able to tremble. Nothing happened for a moment, but then Cherrypaw found the courage to dash off her haunches, running away.

"Falconclaw! What did I say about exposing yourself? You should have waited in the tunnel for me!" Eagledawn called from the branch she was perched on.

"Just stop her, you mouse-brain!" the leopard snapped. Without another word, Eagledawn leaped off the branch and followed Cherrypaw's scent.

"Cherrypaw!" she called, though to no avail. A flash of green light boomed from somewhere in front of the black-and-white she-cat, and when she stopped running she saw a particular wren.

"You're so insecure, thinking such things. That one means no harm, even if he did come to existence. Go back to your camp," the wren calmly chirped, then, when the green light stopped, the ginger apprentice burst off without a second thought. Eagledawn almost leaped after her, but the bird stopped her with a warning call.

"'Even if he did come to existence'? What does that mean?" the cat asked.

"She no longer believes the leopard exists. It's part of my power," the brown-and-white bird answered.

"I see..." A white speck dropped in front of them, alarming Eagledawn, who let out a tiny gasp, then glanced around. Frost clung to the trees and undergrowth wherever she looked. It was starting to snow.

"He's there to help you. I won't protect him a second time, so you yourself must see to it that his existence is unknown," the spirit informed, then leaped and disappeared into a flurry of feathers. Sighing lightly, the ThunderClan warrior padded off to camp.

Two moons spent of hunting and patrolling in the cold of leaf-bare passed before one day Eagledawn was approached by Jayfeather. "Yes?" she asked the blind tom as she approached the medicine cat den. Shimmerstripe had caught Whitecough a moon and three quarters ago, which developed into Greencough soon after.

"I'm afraid there's bad news, Eagledawn... the Greencough is too severe. There was nothing I could do," he grimly informed. She blinked, a wave of sadness overcoming her.

"... I see..." she replied, following the tom to the medicine cat den.

"Eagledawn... my daughter... it's a shame you haven't known me for most of your life, and now I must go... I'm sorry to leave you this way," the old she-cat meowed, her voice crackling beyond repair. Eagledawn lowered her head to nuzzle her mother's flank.

"You will watch me from StarClan - I just know it. I'll make you proud of me. Goodbye, mother. I love you," she replied. Shimmerstripe smiled and closed her eyes for a final time. She looked to be resting so peacefully. Jayfeather turned his tail and left the den.

"Shimmerstripe is dead!" he announced, loud so every cat in the camp could hear. Each slowly gathered as the medicine cat dragged the dead body to the centre of the clearing.

"I'm sorry, Eagledawn," some meowed as she passed by. She only groaned. To be felt sorry for was the last thing she wanted.

"Aren't you going to share tongues?" Tigertail asked.

"I already did," Eagledawn replied. Jayfeather disappeared through his den and soon returned with lavender, applying it to hide the stench of death.

"Eagledawn, will you keep vigil?" Bramblestar asked.

"Of course," she replied, "She's my mother, after all." The cats dispersed, carrying on their usual business.

Another five moons passed by and Newleaf began. Rainpelt of RiverClan was driven out for reasons unknown and joined ThunderClan to be with Flameclaw. Rainpelt and Flameclaw had kits. Eagledawn sighed in remembrance to Flameclaw's apprenticeship - the two sitting by the river, Eagledawn talking to Mistystar and Flamepaw constantly eying Rainpaw. It was clear the two had interest in each other, and now that interest was publicly shown. Although Flamekit, the she-kit, had passed, Graykit was now old enough to leave the nursery. She watched as the kit ate a recently caught mouse, then turned tail and headed through the bracken tunnel, padding off to Snakerocks to meet her secret friend. "You finally learned a lesson!" Eagledawn called, her whiskers twitching in amusement.

"Yeah," the bestial voice replied, muttering through a fish in his mouth. "That spirit won't keep saving me from Cherryfall. I know that much." The she-cat nodded and plopped down beside Falconclaw. "Care for a meal?" the leopard asked. Eagledawn swatted his flank with her forepaw.

"What, with you? Don't be a mouse-brain! You're not an ordinary cat! You need as much as you can get," she chuckled. He nodded and tore down on the fish.

"Indeed... Unfortunately..." he sighed, licking his lips. He sniffed the air cautiously and wheeled around to see Jayfeather approaching.

"Well, hello, there!" the medicine cat called through the leaves. He bounded off Snakerocks and towards the pair. "I went to the Moonstone last night. It seems, indeed, this eagle-" he halted for a moment, obviously smelling loner.

"Don't worry, Jayfeather, it's only Falconclaw. He somehow already knows," Eagledawn told him.

"Ah. Anyhow, this eagle is indeed not of StarClan. Eagledawn, maybe... you're destined for something else. Someone els-" He was interrupted when Eagledawn swatted him playfully.

"I know all this! I had a dream about it moons ago!" she meowed.

He lashed his tail angrily. "Well, thanks for letting me know!" Then the grey tom's ears pricked as a far-off rustling in the bushes was heard. "A patrol. But I smell ShadowClan... Nevertheless, they're coming." He turned his blind gaze to Falconclaw, who nodded and with a powerful leap bounded into the tunnel.

"Eagledawn! These ShadowClan fox dung came calling for you," Wolfleap called from the bushes, emerging with Foxleap beside him. Two cats followed behind them. _ShadowClan,_ the she-cat thought spitefully as she narrowed her eyes. A black she-cat carried three kits with her.

"Stormpelt. It's been a while," a familiar voice came from the tom.

"My name is Eagl-" She said nothing more, halting as Wolfleap and Foxleap moved to the side and allowed a clear view of the two intruders. "You're..."

She ran up to the two and nuzzled them affectionately, warmth flooding her like the river in Greenleaf. "Oh..." she heard Wolfleap behind her.

"Who are these?" Foxleap asked him.

"Her, uh... 'siblings'," Wolfleap answered.

"Firestripe! Shademark!" Eagledawn called. "And... Shademark had kits?" The proud mother nodded. One of the kits was a silver tabby tom with yellow eyes, another, a black tom with white paws and icy-blue eyes. The last was a sleek, smoky grey tom with blue eyes. Jayfeather approached and eyed the dark grey tom.

"Shimmerkit, Stonekit and Crowkit," Shademark told them. Jayfeather took a step forward.

"Your kit is blind," he meowed, obviously taking particular interest in Crowkit.

"How do you know that? Aren't you blind?" Eagledawn trivially asked. The tom shot her a glance that told her not to say anything of it, so she shuffled her paws and stared back at them.

"He looks like my father. Careful he doesn't end up like him," the mottled grey tabby continued, then padded off, his words eventually ignored. Eagledawn still couldn't believe her own siblings standing in front of here.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes wide in surprise.

"We wanted to visit! To see if you... had kits, yet. Unfortunately, no - but how's it going, anyway?" Shademark asked.

"You wanted to visit. I was dragged here..." Firestripe muttered.

"Oh, come on! She's our sister!" Shademark replied.

"Hehe..." Eagledawn chuckled, feeling embarrassed. "No... I haven't had kits... some really strange stuff has happened, though. My apprentice is now a warrior, having his own mate and kits, and... well, it feels like every cat is rather forced to be friends with me, though there is one mouse-brain who keeps getting in the way."

"That's sad... I'm so sorry, Stormpelt. One day you'll find someone who loves you. I promise," Shademark replied, pressing her cheek against Eagledawn's.

"Her name is Eagledawn!" she heard Wolfleap growl. Eagledawn groaned in reply.

"Hush, you big furball, only these ones can call me by my ShadowClan name."

"Wolfleap. Nice to know you're so happy with these Kittypet lovers," Firestripe called out. Wolfleap sprang into action, leaping next to Eagledawn into a battle stance.

"Say that one more time! I dare you!" he shouted. Firestripe only turned his head away and waved his tail.

"Come on, Shademark," he called. Eagledawn meowed her goodbyes to her foster siblings.

"Let's get hunting," Foxleap jumped in.

"What about Jayfeather? I'm sure he's only out here because he was looking to restock on something," Eagledawn meowed.

"Fennel. Eagledawn, would you mind escorting me?" Jayfeather asked, approaching as he was called to attention.

"Right. Can't leave Jayfeather on his own. Wolfleap and I will finish our patrol. We'll tell Squirrelflight where you are," Foxleap nodded, hopping back into the forest.

"Hey!" Jayfeather called after them. "I'm not helpless, you know!" He sighed and flicked his tail. Eagledawn followed him, keeping her tail close enough to brush against his fur so that he didn't lose her. The medicine cat gave a quiet growl and a slight scowl, brushing off her tail with his. Eagledawn glanced away, hot with embarrassment as she took the message.

**A/N:** Jay-Jay's my favourite kitty ^.^ I just love him. Anyway, that's another week done. As always, thank you soo much for reading, and here's your one fact for the day:  
>-Shimmerkit is named after Shimmerstripe. Not very interesting, but hey. It's a fact.<p> 


	9. Chapter 8 - Idiots

**A/N:** LATE sorry, lol. Procrastination for the win.

"Is that all of it?" the pale tom asked.

"Yes," Eagledawn nodded. "Goodnight, Jayfeather," she meowed, taking her leave.

"Sleep well," he called after her. She slipped into the entrance of the warrior's den. It was only as soon as she closed her eyes, as soon as she let the sleep carry her away, that she heard a desperate cry. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Flameclaw was the first to leave, with the other warriors following. Eagledawn stepped out last, weaving through the warriors, who had all held the same stunned face. When she saw what they did, she bore the same expression. Fire had surrounded Flameclaw, which soon evaporated into nothing but smoke, and several burnt corpses lay on the ground. Something drove Eagledawn forward. She did not know what it was, but her paws carried her to where the fire once was. Among them was the easily recognisable silver pelt and lean muscles of Firestripe, her false brother. She approached the body, bowing her head in grief at the still body, when she heard a groan. Eagledawn gasped, half relieved that he was alive and half worried that he'd die soon.

"Jayfeather!" the black-and-white she-cat yowled, "Someone get Jayfeather!" Two cats came from the crowd and took hold of the silver tom, dragging him towards the medicine cat's den. "Graystripe! Sandstorm! Thank you," Eagledawn breathed. They just nodded as the small she-cat then glanced around to look for her love interest amongst the other cats. _Tigertail... Tigertail, are you okay?_ She caught sight of a banded tail waving in the air as if he knew she was looking for her, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ugh... you're really annoying, you know that?" Firestripe muttered, but the remark fell on deaf ears. Eagledawn glanced around, suddenly seeing an old but brilliant emerald eye appear from the tunnel - the other being scarred and dull, still bleeding from a recent injury.

"Make sure my brother's okay," she mewed, padding towards the stranger cat. Before she could reach him, a crowd of ThunderClan warriors had surrounded him, to Eagledawn's dismay, batting at him with unsheathed claws and snapping at him with fangs, trying to drive him out. Heavy footsteps pounded behind her, then Bramblestar leaped over the ring of cats, landing in front of the black rogue and snarling, silently warning them to back off. The furious leader had given Eagledawn an image of Tigerstar, the powerful and infamous ShadowClan leader who brought danger to the forest for his own ambitions, and briefly the black-and-white she-cat wondered if Bramblestar was - or is - like that. The leader grabbed the green-eyed cat and threw him harshly to the centre of the clearing, then bounded on top of High rock. At first the rogue did not move, and Eagledawn wondered if Bramblestar killed him, but then he glanced around, his eyes setting onto her, and he pushed himself up. When those eyes gazed at her, she immediately realised who it was. _Shadeleaf!_

All fell suddenly silent as the dark, sleek cat sat, eyes closed and head bowed. All ThunderClan eyes turned to Bramblestar, who looked at Eagledawn.

"Eagledawn," As her name was called, she jumped, and all the cats' gazes fell upon her; even Shadeleaf's, which had unnerved her heavily. "As this cat has been your foster father through kithood and apprenticeship, it would be only fair that here and now you decide his fate." The clan had settled to an eerie silence, and Eagledawn bowed her head, her golden eyes clouded with thought. She was still as a statue before she looked up, her jaws opening and speaking the words as she stared firmly at Shadeleaf.

"Shadeleaf," she began. "You dishonorably broke the warrior code, killing Jayfeather's apprentice who had carried me as a scrap of fur. Then you kitnapped me and named me Stormkit. Paved my path with lies, and even to your own kits, Firestripe and Shademark. Even to your mate, Silverfall! As Stormpaw, the truth uncovered before my eyes, and as Stormpelt that truth was let out in a moment that no cat now remembers." She paused for a moment, staring as Shadeleaf's clear, green eyes turned to the ground as they began to water. "But..." she continued. "There is, I suppose, a reason I should thank you... Where no one else would take me, to assist me, in that moment, where I could have died... You did. You nursed me, looked after me, and to some degree mentored me, attempting to turn me into a ShadowClan cat. You... you treated me as if I was yours, and I guess I was yours at the time." The clan listened eagerly as she made a final announcement. "You are the father I never had, Shadeleaf, because in that same attack mine did not survive. I... I love you, Shadeleaf. I wish you could stay, but will this clan accept you?" she asked, signalling him with her tail to speak.

"I am deeply sorry, Eagledawn, for what I have done to you. What I did was very foolish. Believe me, every day I regret my actions and ask myself; Why didn't I take you back to ThunderClan where I should have? As for your question... All that matters to me, dear, is that you accept me."

"I do, Shadeleaf. Then you will stay in ThunderClan with me?" This time, Bramblestar spoke.

"The fate of Shadeleaf has been decided," he announced. "Shadeleaf will stay in ThunderClan. Does the clan agree?" Murmurs spreading throughout the cats turned into yowls of disagreement, then to hisses against Shadeleaf. Eagledawn stared, her mouth open in horror.

"We cannot accept him! What if he started this attack from ShadowClan?!" someone called.

"Yeah, it's just like them, to try and deceive us like that!" another added.

"They stole Graykit!" _They... what?_

"Ah, yes..." Bramblestar mused. "Was this attack your command?"

Shadeleaf shook his head warily. "No. ShadowClan has exiled me after the truth was revealed about Stor-... Eagledawn. Please realise I took this big risk to be with your clan, and my daughter, and please let me join." The hisses had silenced, and as Bramblestar dismissed the ThunderClan cats, they began returning to their dens. As they all left, the strong leader nodded whilst briefly closing his eyes.

"I will accept you, but you will be watched. Welcome to ThunderClan, Shadeleaf." The elderly tom let out a sigh of relief as Bramblestar hopped off the Highrock and retreated into his den. The black cat began padding towards the warrior's den.

"Hey, should you...?" Eagledawn called after him. "You're bleeding. You should stay in Jayfeather's den for tonight."

He shook his head. "No. I'll stay in the warrior's den, with my daughter. Just for tonight," he replied. Eagledawn twitched her whiskers and glanced at the medicine cat's den.

"What about with your son? He's here. He was injured pretty badly," she informed. He stared thoughtfully at the den for a moment, then nodded.

"Ah, Firestripe. That tom has certainly changed. Did you know he's referred to by most as the greatest warrior in the whole forest? And he's only just more the size of a 1 year old she-cat!" he laughed.

"Really?" Eagledawn giggled, wondering if that was an exaggeration. Knowing Shadeleaf, it probably was.. "At that size, I'd be embarrassed if I was the greatest warrior!" Suddenly, a figure had clashed into the elderly tom.

"Why are you here?" the flame-coloured cat called. _Oh, that mouse brain! What nerve to think he can do that without getting a few scratches from me!_ she thought, narrowing her eyes to a slit. She lunged at Flameclaw with the force of a queen protecting her kits. He slid across the ground, then pushed himself updirt clenching onto his fur. "Why are you protecting Shadeleaf?!" he yowled.

"He is my father! Why shouldn't I protect him?!" Eagledawn snarled. Flameclaw flicked his tail in annoyance.

"He is your _foster _father, not your real father, and he killed my brother when I had the intentions of returning him to ThunderClan for his trial," he scoffed.

"Oh, mouse dung! I know you, Flameclaw! You know in your heart you only intended to kill him. And so what if he's my false father? He was willing to look after me where no other cat would!" Eagledawn hissed, irritated by the tom's foolishness.

"Because no one knew where you were! Silverfall, Firestripe, Shademark and Shadeleaf took care of you! Not him alone! If ThunderClan found you on the battle field they would have taken you back! Are you seriously that mouse-brained?" he asked, his eyes brimmed with hostility.

_Are you?!_ she wanted to yowl so badly. "Even so, just because you don't have a father I'm not allowed to have one? You really think that?! If you do, then it's _you _who's the mouse-brain!" she hissed, constantly unsheathing and sheathing her claws, trying desperately not to leap and claw his face off.

"I never said anything about my father," he sighed. "So don't bring him into this. I was simply speaking the truth. You can't you handle the truth? You'll never survive in that case," he snarled. _Where was that brought from?_ she sighed.

"I can't handle the truth?! _You _can't handle the truth! You can't handle the fact that I accepted him back with Bramblestar's consent! Besides, you have no right to attack an _elder!_" she hissed. Flameclaw froze, tilting his head slowly.

"Wolfleap didn't tell me that..." He narrowed his eyes in thoughtfulness. _He didn't have to, mouse-brain._ Her eyes slowly opened the next morning as cats had already begun to leave the den. She pushed herself up and stretched, seeing Briarlight enter the medicine cat's den with a piece of fresh-kill. She glanced around at the fresh-kill pile, deciding to do the same. She picked out a pigeon from the pile and padded to the medicine cat's den. She saw Shadeleaf lift his head and smile at her, gesturing with his tail to give it to Firestripe, so she dropped it at his nest. He looked at it for a moment then scrunched his nose.

"That's feral," he meowed.

"You're a cat. It's a bird. Cats eat birds, so eat," Eagledawn replied.

"Not _that._ It's dirty," he replied, swishing his tail.

"I forgot to warn you about that," Shadeleaf commented. Eagledawn tilted her head, not having seen this behaviour from her foster brother before. His quirk about cleanliness hadn't applied to fresh-kill before.

"Why are you standing there? Go and clean it, or get me something else," he sighed. She turned tail and began padding off, but Shadeleaf stopped her, gently taking the pigeon from her mouth.

"Don't worry about it, Eagledawn," a voice called from behind. She turned around to see Briarlight drag herself across to her. "Give this to him," she meowed, passing a vole to her.

"Thank you, Briarlight," Eagledawn meowed, padding across to Firestripe's nest to give it to him. He almost immediately wolfed down on it, then licked his lips and said nothing. Just then, Jayfeather entered.

"Good morning, Eagledawn," he greeted. Eagledawn returned the greeting as he sat down next to Briarlight. "How stocked are we, Briarlight?" he asked.

"Enough to last the season, but we need to get a bit more catnip, and poppy seeds. We're running out," she replied. He nodded thoughtfully.

"One more question," he mewed. Briarlight froze and looked up at him with gleaming and seemingly excited eyes. Eagledawn could barely believe what was coming next. "Briarlight, is it your wish to share the deepest knowledge of StarClan as a ThunderClan medicine cat?" he asked. Both Eagledawn and Briarlight gaped at the words. She wondered if Briarlight even wanted to become a medicine cat, but the expression on her face said otherwise.

"It is!" she squealed, then froze. "It is," she repeated in a more calm tone. She saw Jayfeather smile affectionately.

"Warriors of StarClan, I present to you this cat. She has shown great courage in turning aside from the path of a warrior. My pride in her could not be greater. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will." He finished speaking and when Eagledawn glanced around she noticed that cats had gathered outside the den. Jayfeather walked Briarlight outside where the clan was waiting, Bramblestar and Squirrelflight sitting in the front of the crowd next to Millie and Graystripe.

"Briarlight! Briarlight!" the clan cheered. Eagledawn joined in the chant, feeling overjoyed for the new medicine cat. She saw Millie and Graystripe approach, touching noses with their daughter.

"We're so proud of you," Millie mewed, "I'm so glad you chose this path." As the group began to disband, Eagledawn heard a large snap. All cats turned their attention to the leader's den as a branch fell to cover its entrance.

"What in Silverpelt?" she whispered to herself. She weaved her way through the crowd to get a better view. Bramblestar was sitting near it, studying it, then he tried to push it, to no avail. He jumped on top of it and tried to squeeze through, but the hole between the den's entrance and the branch wasn't big enough. Eagledawn heard him sigh, then he leaped onto the High Rock. Cats began to gather around.

"ThunderClan, as you have all just noticed, a branch has fallen on my den and I am unable to enter. So, tomorrow, we shall move it together - but for today, we need to assign patrols. Tonight, I will sleep in the warrior's den," he announced, then hopped off, beginning to assign patrols. "Eagledawn, are you okay with hunting by yourself?" he asked. Eagledawn nodded, padding through the gorse tunnel and making her way to the river, but when she arrived Falconclaw was nowhere to be seen. She padded towards the tunnel and sniffed, and as expected there he sat, a rank stench of fish coming from inside.

"I'll get rid of it soon, I promise," he called, padding outside, the heavy thud of his paws echoing throughout the walls of the tunnel. She expected his usual joking around, but he only sat beside her with a sad look on his face.

"What happened?" she asked, perking her ears.

"Nothing happened, Eagledawn. But I'm just remembering something..." he sighed, twitching his long tail.

"What are you remembering, then?" Eagledawn questioned.

"My family... I had two cubs - what you call kits - and I'm not sure whether they're still alive... or even still sane," he told her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, a worried expression in her eyes.

"Sharptooth - the mountain lion Feathertail killed - he was my illegitimate brother. He fathered my cubs, but then he lost himself to a bloodlust. He ran away, and he never came back. I knew where he was. He had been killing cats of the Tribe of Rushing Water. My cubs are probably there now, starting to grow the same bloodlust," he sighed.

"How do you know about Feathertail?" she asked.

"Jayfeather told me yesterday. I had been thinking about it all night." She only nodded and the leopard had lifted off his haunches and disappeared through his tunnel. "I'll talk to you some time later, Eagledawn!" he called. She sat for a moment, looking up at the clouds, when she heard a splash from the water. She gasped and stepped back, watching as two paws emerged and a silver tom lifted himself out of the river.

"Firestripe, what..." she stopped, never finishing her sentence. He shook his fur dry and sat in the sun.

"Is all the ash off?" he asked.

"Yes," the she-cat replied, still confused by his actions.

"Good," he sighed, slumping down and stretching his forepaws.

"Hey, Beetletail, come here! I found an otter!" a tom called from the other side of the river. Eagledawn glanced to see a black tom approaching a grey tom.

"He's a little small for an otter, Volenose, don't you think? He's more like a frog," the black tom sneered. Eagledawn quickly turned to Firestripe, expecting him to be angered, but he sat calmly, his fur puffed out.

"Shouldn't you be a little more careful?" he asked. The two RiverClan warriors glanced at eachother, then dived in the river. Before Eagledawn or Firestripe knew it, they were on the ThunderClan side of the river.

"Careful of what?" Beetletail growled as the two approached. Eagledawn stepped back, but still Firestripe did not move. She flinched as the black tom jumped on him, taking advantage of his smaller body and pinning him down. Volenose dashed around and pinned his forepaws down "The forest's greatest warrior?!" All suddenly fell silent. Eagledawn perked her ears as she heard a rustling in the bushes. Jayfeather, Briarlight, Mousewhisker and Birchfall emerged, gasping as they saw the situation that had unfolded between the two RiverClan warriors and the ShadowClan warrior.

"... Yes," he mewed, kicking his hind legs up onto Beetletail's belly. He twisted and threw off Volenose, crouching into a battle position.

"Firestripe!" Briarlight called. Mousewhisker and Birchfall began to approach, their claws unsheathed.

"Stay there. These ones are mine," he meowed, whiskers twitching. The two RiverClan warriors stood still in their battle position at the edge of the river, waiting for him to attack. Firestripe leaped as the two sidestepped, though instead of landing in the river he landed between them. As they wheeled around and tried to push him in, he miraculously jumped above them, and instead both of them fell in. As they jumped out of the swirling water, he ran into the forest. Eagledawn and Birchfall followed, barely keeping up with his speed. They noticed the two RiverClan warriors giving chase.

"Firestripe isn't a coward. He must have a plan," Eagledawn told him. He nodded, hiding himself amongst the bushes. Eagledawn did the same. Firestripe climbed the tree with amazing swiftness and leaped over the wall to camp. The RiverClan warriors followed, still giving chase. Eagledawn and Birchfall did the same to see Firestripe stopping and wheeling around.

"Oh, frog-dung..." Volenose muttered as the warriors of ThunderClan surrounded him. "Hey, uhh... should we get out of here, or...?"

Beetletail slapped his cheek with a sheathed paw.

"No way! That fish-brained runt over there calls himself the greatest warrior of the forest. We have to bring his ego down first!" he answered. Squirrelflight and Bramblestar emerged from the warrior's den.

"What's going on here?" Squirrelflight asked, glancing around. Mousewhisker emerged from the gorse tunnel, Jayfeather and Briarlight following.

"Squirrelflight! When we came, Firestripe was being attacked by these two trespassers," Mousewhisker told her. Squirrelflight nodded and approached.

"Alright, you mouse-brains. I'm giving you an opportunity to leave. You'd better take it," she growled.

"No," Firestripe ordered. "I accept their challenge." Eagledawn heard gasps emit from several cats around her.

"You won't stand a chance against us two," Volenose chuckled, though his mischievious laugh was cut short almost instantly, and blood sprayed out from the side of his neck. As the grey tom dropped down in pain, Firestripe was revealed behind him. The clan cats gasped again. Beetletail leaped behind Firestripe and attempting to strike him, but he wheeled, letting the black tom drop in front of him, and slammed his paw on his scruff. The RiverClan warrior let out a yowl of pain, then gestured with his tail to Volenose to retreat. The silver tom stood proudly, his fiery eyes blazing with glory yet his expression remained stoic. _He was... so fast... and he doesn't look tired, even after all that running and fighting..._ Eagledawn thought.

"Firestripe," a voice broke the silence. "Do you wish to return to your clan now?" Bramblestar asked. Firestripe's amber eyes locked with Bramblestar's.

"No. I intend to stay here," he answered. Surprised glances spread on the warriors' faces.

"Very well," Bramblestar nodded. "And what of Shademark, and her kits?"

"Moved to WindClan," he answered. _Why would they...?_ Eagledawn wondered.

"What about you?" Bramblestar questioned him, tilting his head.

"I have no ties to WindClan. It wouldn't feel right for me. For now I'll stay in ShadowClan, but I will come when I deem it necessary," he told the leader, who nodded in agreement.

"I will make sure you are welcomed," he concluded. Firestripe nodded and disappeared through the gorse tunnel.

**A/N:** Ooooh, mysteries. Sorry for late chapter. I've been collecting 420 flags in Assassin's Creed, so. But Briarlight's a meddie cat~! :D One fact of the week, as always-

Volenose and Beetletail were original Voleclaw and Beetlewhisker. Until I found out those guys are like, dead.


	10. Chapter 9 - Unexpected

It was a moon later when it happened: an elderly pale ginger she-cat had caught Eagledawn's attention, her green eyes holding some sort of pride in them, yet also uncertainty. It was Sandstorm, a she-cat Eagledawn had not yet spoken to. She said nothing, only pointed her tail at Eagledawn's belly and smiled before stalking away. The gesture left the black-and-white cat frozen in shock before she looked down at her belly. Much to her horror, it was swollen.

_I... I'm expecting? How could I not have noticed?_ She narrowed her golden eyes._ How in Silverpelt..._

She _had_ to tell Falconclaw. The small she-cat approached the gorse tunnel but a golden-brown tail stopped her. She groaned in annoyance at the tom, Lionblaze, who blocked her path. "Where are you going?" he questioned.

"Out for a walk," Eagledawn answered. He withdrew his tail, allowing the black-and-white she-cat to pass, and immediately she made for Snakerocks.

"Falconclaw!" she called, and then heard a rustling in the large tunnel. A moment later the enormous spotted cat emerged. When Eagledawn approached the tunnel she drew back and scrunched up her nose at the scent of fish. _Again!_

"I'll get rid of it soon, I promise," he informed as if he knew she'd ask about the unpleasant scent.

"You're doing this again? Seriously... how does no one know you're here?"

"Are you really asking that, Eagledawn? I'm a leopard, I have my ways. Anyway, what's wrong?"

"I... I'm expecting kits, Falconclaw."

He blinked. "Congratulations."

"Don't congratulate me!" she snapped. "This is a bad thing! I don't even know who the father is!"

"Just because that's unknown, doesn't mean having kits is a bad thing, you idiot," he growled. "As for who the father is, think of who might be the closest to you in your Clan."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Eagledawn murmured. "I should be glad... and... Tigertail, maybe... he was the nearest to my nest the day Bramblestar's den was blocked by a falling branch. And we are pretty close..." The inferior-sized she-cat looked up at the leopard. "Thank you, Falconclaw. I should go back to camp now."

"StarClan light your path," he grunted. Eagledawn bowed her head and left for camp.

As she crawled out of the tunnel her first instinct was to find Tigertail, so her paws took her to the warrior's den. When she entered she saw Whitewing and Birchfall sharing tongues but her own mate was nowhere to be seen. "Have you seen Tigertail?" she asked.

"No," Birchfall answered. "Maybe he's out on patrol." Eagledawn nodded and backed out.

When a few days passed, however, there was no sign of the white tom.

At dusk, Eagledawn decided to inform Bramblestar, but as she made her way towards the leader's den she instead found Squirrelflight. "Eagledawn? What's up?" the ginger she-cat asked.

"Have you noticed that Tigertail has been missing for days now?" Eagledawn prompted.

The deputy looked thoughtful for a moment before her green eyes widened. "Oh, StarClan, you're right!" she breathed. "I'll tell Bramblestar and send out search patrols right away. Thank you for telling me."

**A/N:** Okay, here's a way shorter chapter (hopefully) because if I'm lucky it'll help get me more reviewers and followers and what not. Anyway, so Eagledawn's pregnant! Tigertail's missing! What will happen next time? Tune in to find out... and stuff like that. Now for your one fact of the day:

Eagledawn was supposed to give birth in this chapter. (To Graystripe's kits lmfao)


End file.
